A 23-year-old woman this morning told a court of her ordeal at the hands of her partner, who is pleading not guilty to having held her against her will, threatened her and injured her in two incidents last month.

Alicia Spiteri, 23 of Fgura told the court that she had been going out with her partner Sean Grima for 11 years and they had two daughters aged two and five.

Last year between June and December they lived in a a flat in Fgura after he came out of prison.

Trouble started on December 17 when she went to clean up her grandmother's house, as she normally did. When she returned, late in the morning, he began 'interrogating' her about where she had been. He did not believe she was at her grandmother's and was convinced that she had begun a relationship with another man.

He became very aggressive, grabbed her by her throat and began insisting that she admit that she was having another relationship.

He then locked her in the bedroom and beat her up for a total of 10 hours.

At one point, in an effort to get out, she told him there was a gun on the roof. He pulled her out so that they could go to the roof. As they were walking out, she knocked on a neighbour's door and as the door opened, she rushed in. She tried to tell the neighbour not to let him in, but he chased after her and pulled her out.

She managed to get out of her own flat the day after.

During the ordeal, Mr Grima even called her mother and made her go to the flat in an attempt to make her daughter admit that she was having a relationship. The mother burst out crying in the flat and left.

The police arrived a short time after, having, presumably, been called by the mother.

Ms Spiteri said Mr Grima refused to open the door to the police and made her go out on the balcony to tell the officers that all was okay.

However, after a while, Supt Sharon Tanti arrived and Grima allowed the officers in.

The superintendent spoke to them for 90 minutes and asked her if she preferred to leave with her or whether she wanted Mr Grima to leave.

Ms Spiteri said she decided to stay at the flat as she figured that he would not hit her again as she was in a disastrous state. He let her go to a health centre and then she went to her mother's house.

On Christmas Eve, Mr Grima called at her mother's house to speak to her. She refused to go out with him. He refused to leave the house. His parents arrived but he still refused to leave.

Her mother called the police once more. On realising what was happening Mr Grima grabbed their two-year-old daughter and ran off.

He called her throughout the following night, warning her that if she wanted her daughter, she would have to call for her. He also told her that the girl was hungry. She told him to feed her chicken nuggets. He replied that the child would remain hungry until she fed her.

Ms Spiteri said she then spoke to a police inspector and he advised her not to go if she was scared.

Nonetheless, on the following day, Christmas, she decided to go for the child at their flat at around noon. She took her other daughter with her, on his insistence.

He opened the door and she saw him taking cocaine. He looked scared and became more paranoid as time went by.

She said he would not let her leave the house, but she was able to phone her parents.

He then barricaded the door with furniture and turned off the lights.

While holding a pen knife he pulled her by her hair and arms into the bedroom. She pleaded for him to let her go, and she also made a rush to the balcony, but he stopped her.

At one point she managed to grab hold of the knife and stabbed him in the shoulder. He opened the door and went out. Her father came in and took the children.

She ran out into the street and, fearing that he would chase her, she jumped into a stranger's car but was told to get out again.

She then spotted her mother behind her and she jumped into her car and they went to the police.

The case continues.