A west Belfast man allegedly imprisoned and stood on his partner’s head as part of a seven-month campaign of domestic abuse, a court has heard.
John Millen, aged 24, is accused of regularly locking the woman inside their home and carrying out assaults on a daily basis.
He was arrested at the weekend amid claims she had been throttled to the point of seeing stars.
Millen, of Ballymurphy Road, denies charges of attempted grievous bodily harm, non-fatal strangulation, false imprisonment, domestic abuse and criminal damage.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard police went to the house in the early hours of November 8 after a neighbour reported the woman was in the front garden screaming for help.
She was said to be in a state of undress and shouting “He’s going to kill me” while Millen tried to coax her back inside.
The alleged victim told officers she had been punched and headbutted inside the house before he threw her against a wall and stood on her head for a period of time.
Millen then placed his hands around her neck and began to strangle her, it was claimed.
A PSNI constable said: “She recalls that she began to see stars and is unsure if she went unconscious.
“She told police the defendant always goes for the throat but in this incident the strangulation went on for so much longer than on previous occasions.”
According to the woman’s account she managed to escape while Millen was upstairs in the property.
She went on to disclose a history of alleged domestic abuse, the court heard.
“She told officers that for the past seven months the defendant assaulted her every day and regularly locked her in the house. She had no key and could not leave until he returned,” the constable said.
“While in the house he followed her to the toilet and waited for her while she used it.”
Millen also allegedly monitored her phone, only allowing her to have two contacts: himself and her mother.
But the mobile was said to be destroyed when he threw it against the ground last week.
District Judge Steven Keown was told police at the scene observed several suspected injuries to the woman, including bruising on her neck and shoulders, severely swollen lips and blood around her mouth and ear.
“A bite mark to her abdomen was observed which (the woman) advised the defendant had inflicted on her during the assault,” the constable added.
The woman has not yet made a formal statement of complaint because she is in too much pain.
During interviews Millen denied carrying out any attack, claiming instead that the woman had scratched him.
He stated she removed her top during an attempt to seduce him at the weekend, but when he showed no interest she ran out into the street “acting crazy”.
Millen claimed he followed her outside and covered her breasts to save her dignity.
Defence solicitor Matt Higgins acknowledged the seriousness of the charges, but argued his client has no history of similar alleged offences.
He suggested the accused could be released to live at an address well away from the complainant.
But refusing bail and remanding Millen in custody until December 8, Judge Keown ruled: “The risk is too great.”
