A woman has told a jury she was a 'nervous wreck' after her ex-partner allegedly strangled and assaulted her.
William Amos, of West Way, Botley, is on trial at Oxford Crown Court.
The 69-year-old had pleaded not guilty to stalking involving fear of violence, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation against the same woman in December last year.
According to the court record, the allegation of stalking includes visiting the woman's home, threatening to kill her, phoning her and leaving abusive voicemails.
On June 11, prosecution barrister Kelly Purcell-Chandler opened the case for the jury.
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The jury heard that the alleged victim moved into the same block of flats as Amos after her partner of 25 years died.
She began a relationship with the defendant, but the jury heard it deteriorated.
Ms Purcell-Chandler told the jury that on December 5, Amos let himself into the woman's flat and pushed her against a bookshelf.
The barrister said: "She was very fearful."
The jury heard that after the incident, Amos took the woman's phone so she went to a neighbour to call the police.
The following day, Amos posted the woman's phone back through her letterbox. The jury heard that after this he sent a series of abusive voicemails to her.
Ms Purcell-Chandler said: "He (Amos) thought she was cheating on him. The crown says he was responsible for her injuries and that she is telling the truth."
The complainant then took to the witness box to give evidence.
She told the jury she moved into the block of flats and met Amos at a coffee morning. She said they were in a relationship within a few weeks.
She said: "It changed about eight months before the incident. He was aggressive and manipulative. He was depressed and distant.
"I said I didn't want to be with him. He was wearing me down. I became quite introvert.
"He said I was boring and hiding stuff from him. He thought I was sleeping with someone else. It was a constant barrage of questions.
"We were just bickering and arguing, we both agreed it wasn't working. It was horrible. It was quite soul destroying."
On the December 5 incident, she said: "He pushed his way in. He grabbed me by the throat and pushed me against a cupboard.
"He dragged me by the hair, he pushed me onto a sofa."
The woman also told the jury Amos 'punched' her and hit her head on the frame of a door.
She added: "I was scared and frightened. I thought he'd kill me. I needed to get out of there."
The woman explained she was able to escape and run down the stairs of the block of flats.
She said that Amos left, but when she returned to her flat her phone was gone. She then called the police using a neighbour's phone.
Her phone was returned to her the next day.
When asked how the incident had affected her, she said: "I'm just a wreck, a nervous wreck."
The trial continues.
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