Mother 'beaten and raped' by ex-partner, Leicester court told

A young mother was whipped, burnt, tied up and raped while being held captive at home for a week by her then partner, a jury has been told.

The 18-year-old's jealous lover allegedly hacked off her hair with a knife and poured household bleach over her head.

Some of the horrifying incidents were witnessed by their 22-month-old child, who was also encouraged to hit the woman with a pole as she lay tied up and rolled in a rug, it was claimed.

The woman was said to have been stamped on, punched, kicked and hit with a metal pole by the man.

She described running naked from room to room as the man whipped her with cable.

Prosecutor James House said: "Almost every inch of her was bruised."

In a video-recorded police statement shown at Leicester Crown Court yesterday, the alleged victim said: "I thought he was going to kill me. It was just a matter of time. I thought he was capable of anything."

Her 24-year-old ex-partner, who cannot be named to protect her identity, denies false imprisonment, inflicting grievous bodily harm, three counts of rape and a sexual assault, between April 8 and 15.

He told the police she was trying to falsely pin the blame on him for an attack by one or more unknown men to get him out of their house.

"She was terrorised and completely subdued," said Mr House.

"It was a horrific ordeal she endured.

"She did whatever he wanted, for fear of the consequences."

The woman, in her police video, said her then partner was controlling and jealous.

Their relationship went downhill when she began attending college.

After she stayed overnight at a friend's party, he heard that a man she was friends with on Facebook had also been there.

He accused her of being unfaithful, despite her repeated denials, and ended up locking her in their Leicester home.

She claimed he humiliated and insulted her during the ordeal, forced chilli into her mouth, as well as shampoo and conditioner.

He also allegedly shoved a soiled nappy into her face and made her have very hot and freezing cold showers.

She said he told her: "In my culture, we give people baths before they die."

In the video, the woman said: "He had me thinking that I had to be a good wife and have this [the abuse] as punishment.

"I actually thought that."

She alleged that she was tied up with electrical cable and gagged with clothing, then rolled in a rug and beaten.

She claimed the defendant got their child to hit her with a pole, saying "Hit Mummy," pretending it was a game.

One night, he allegedly tied wire around her leg, wrapped it around the bed and trapped the wire in a drawer, so she could not move without him knowing.

She said the defendant's mother saw her injuries during a visit and shouted at her son, telling him not to do it again, but this made him even more bad tempered.

The trial continues.