A Suffolk man accused of grabbing his partner by the throat and threatening to kill her during a row has denied being violent towards her.

Giving evidence during his trial at Ipswich Crown Court, Nathan Craig claimed the woman had been drinking and taking drugs during a night out in Newmarket and had slipped over in some mud.

He claimed she had accused him of sleeping with her friend and had been hitting her head on a lamppost and he had tried to stop her hurting herself.

He denied pushing her to the ground and then pulling her to her feet while holding her throat with his hands.

He also denied threatening to kill her and squeezing her throat so hard that she struggled to breathe.

Craig also denied running after the woman and trying to bite her thigh.

During his evidence, Craig also denied losing his temper on another occasion and tipping the woman out of a wheelchair while her leg was in a cast and then kicking her injured leg.

Cross-examined by prosecution counsel Nicola May, Craig said the allegations were “definitely not true” and he didn’t know why she had made them.

Craig, 27, of Fritton Court, Haverhill, has pleaded not guilty to using coercive and controlling behaviour, making a threat to kill, assault causing actual bodily harm and assault by beating.

After hearing legal submissions from Craig’s barrister, Lynne Shirley, Judge Emma Peters directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict on the charge of coercive and controlling behaviour.

Miss May claimed that during Craig’s relationship with the alleged victim, he had been violent towards her.

She alleged that Craig had also punched the woman several times in the thigh and hip during an argument at a friend’s house

Following his arrest, Craig “completely and utterly” denied assaulting the woman and accused her of causing injuries to herself.

He claimed she had made up the allegations to get him into trouble.

The trial continues.