Jurats in the Royal Court have been shown a police officer’s video footage of a woman sobbing and shouting after she had allegedly been assaulted at a house and prevented from leaving.
The 20-minute clip from the officer’s body-worn camera formed part of the prosecution evidence in the trial of Elliot Gomes (39), who denies four assault charges involving the woman, one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice and a charge of domestic abuse.
PC Katherine McArthur said the woman had been “teary, distraught and panicky” after she was able to leave the property after police officers arrived. The officer told the court she then spoke to the alleged victim in a police vehicle.
A recording was also played of an earlier phone call made by the woman to police in which she stated that Mr Gomes had positioned himself by the front door of the house and was refusing to allow her to leave after an argument.
The court also heard the woman’s description of how she was taunted by her partner who she said had sent pictures of himself and another woman naked in bed in his house in Jersey while she was in London.
Advocate Alexander English, defending, repeatedly challenged the woman to admit that the truth was that she had been responsible for coercive behaviour and had repeatedly lost her temper with Mr Gomes, including punching him, but she denied this.
The lawyer also asked if it was true the woman had “serially cheated” on Mr Gomes. She stated that she had never cheated on him. Advocate English was rebuked by Commissioner Sir John Saunders, presiding, over this line of questioning.
“You do not have leave to ask questions of this nature,” the judge told Advocate English, later interrupting the cross-examination to tell the lawyer that he “will have to take no for an answer”.
Jurats Entwistle and Opfermann are sitting in the trial, which is expected to last for around five days.