A 40-year-old man has gone on trial accused of raping his partner at the Borehamwood flat where they lived.

The man is also said to have attacked the woman, 41, earlier on by stamping on her toe and banging her head on the ground on January 25 this year.

Later, as she lay on her bed, he is alleged to have forced himself on her.

A jury at St Albans crown court heard on Monday that after the alleged rape, the woman fled from the flat and phoned the police.

It is alleged she met officers in a street close to her flat. The man was then found by officers back at the flat and arrested, the court heard.

In the dock, the defendant pleaded not guilty to assaulting the woman, causing her actual bodily harm, and assault by penetration and rape.

Giving evidence, the alleged victim told the jury they had been living together at her flat since September last year.

She said there had been incidents involving his loss of temper before, and they had discussed him having counselling and attending anger management sessions.

She said that after one incident, when he had punched her in the ribs, she had moved out because she felt she couldn't cope with his behaviour.

The woman told the court that the flat was in her name, and she was worried his noisy temper outbursts meant they would lose the accommodation.

But she said by January of this year, they had decided to find a new place to live in Borehamwood.

She then told the court they were drinking together at home on the evening of Saturday, January 24, when the man got angry as they discussed his ex-partner, and his contact with a daughter by that relationship.

She said it ended up with him punching the wall and putting a dog lead around his neck and threatening to hang himself.

The woman said when she threatened to phone the police, he snatched her mobile phone from her and smashed it.

She said: "He was very angry and grabbed me by both sides of my face and shook my head."

She told the jury the attack had left her in pain and in tears, and he had stamped on her toe, which caused it to swell, and banged her head on the floor.

Later, she said that as she lay in bed, still in pain from the attack, he sexually assaulted her.

She said: "I was totally numb, I really didn't want it to happen. I felt physically ill because of the injuries and physically sick because of the way he had treated me."

The woman then told the court how the man then had sex with her before he went to sleep.

She said she managed to slip from the bed and left the flat and phoned the police from a neighbour's flat, before going outside to meet officers.

The trial continues.