Girlfriend hit me with bag, assault-case man tells jury
APLASTERER accused of domestic violence told a court he never assaulted his girlfriend, but she made his nose bleed by hitting him with a handbag.
Christopher Cooksey, who is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court, said Stephanie Watkiss was angry after seeing him speak to another woman and struck his head with the bag.
During cross-examination, prosecutor Matthew Cobbe asked: “Are you sure you’re not getting the roles mixed up?”
The court heard the pair started dating in September 2017 and the charges relate to December that year.
Mr Cobbe asked: “You never punched her?” Giving evidence from the witness box, Cooksey replied: “No.”
The prosecutor continued: “You never kicked her?” Cooksey replied he did not.
Mr Cobbe asked: “You never slapped her?” The defendant responded: “No.”
He accepted footage showed him raising his hand while they were in his van, but said he was gesticulating, not slapping Ms Watkiss.
Cooksey stated they were “equal” in the relationship.
Mr Cobbe asked: “The way you see it, you were a good boyfriend?” Cooksey replied: “I believe we were both happy. That’s what I thought.”
Prosecutors alleged the defendant was aggressive when the couple went on holiday to Mallorca together – banging doors, threatening Ms Watkiss and getting angry about her use of social media.
The defendant said: “It just did not happen. It was a good holiday.”
He said their relationship became “stronger” after the trip, when Ms Watkiss moved in with him.
Questioned about an alleged assault at the complainant’s work Christmas party, the defendant said his partner “stormed off” after seeing him speaking to a woman at the bar.
He said: “She stormed off through the car park and fell on her bum.”
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Mr Cobbe asked: “Are you sure you’re not getting the roles mixed up? You were cross with her for speaking to other men?”
The defendant said that was not the case. He told the court he helped his girlfriend up, but she was “in a temper”.
He said: “She smashed me over the head with her handbag.” Cooksey told the court that made his nose bleed.
Mr Cobbe asked: “Are you sure about that? It wasn’t her nose that was bleeding after you assaulted her?”
The defendant replied: “I’m 100% sure her nose wasn’t bleeding. My nose was bleeding.”
Cooksey said it was “tense” the next day. Mr Cobbe asked why and he replied: “How would you feel if you went home and your wife hit you in the nose?”
Questioned about an allegation he put the complainant in a choke hold, he said: “It did not happen.”
Mr Cobbe asked: “Choking, strangling, knife to the throat. None of that happened?” Cooksey said it did not.
Asked if he was worried Ms Watkiss might have “spilled the beans” to her colleagues about the alleged domestic violence, the defendant replied: “No, because it never happened.”
Cooksey, 33, from Gloster’s Parade in Pontypool, denies administering poison, assault by beating, false imprisonment, controlling behaviour and four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The trial continues.