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Collins 'Almost Pushed Me In Front Of A Car'

Collins 'Almost Pushed Me In Front Of A Car'

Comedian Justin Lee Collins tried to push his ex-girlfriend into the path of an oncoming car, a court has heard.

Anna Larke, 38, told St Albans Crown Court that she started to worry for her safety after the alleged incident, which she said was witnessed by comedian Alan Carr when they were all out together.

Collins, who came to fame with Channel 4’s The Friday Night Project, denies assaulting and harassing his former girlfriend.

During the hearing, Ms Larke described Collins as "jealous", "calculating" and "obsessive" and said he drove her insane during their nine-month relationship. She stabbed herself in the arm with a pen because she felt so frustrated, the woman claimed.

Pointing to his alleged controlling behaviour, she claimed he abused her cat and did not let her wear flat shoes or clothes he had not given her.

"He made me feeling disgusting. He made me feel crazy," she said.

Ms Larke broke down in court after a prosecutor asked about her early menopause and infertility - claiming this had put pressure on the relationship. The prosecutor argued she had become obsessive about the fact that she could not have children with him.

Sky News' Ashish Joshi said the prosecution portrayed her as a recovering alcoholic who was constantly in fear of being dumped. She admitted she feared being left.

The prosecution also claimed she had a problem with drugs, which she denied, saying: "I’m not a coke head. Yes, I may have taken one line of coke."

The jury was told how Collins had a record of every sexual experience she had.

It is claimed he said to Ms Larke: "Because I’m famous, I don’t want anything coming out in the papers about my girlfriend that I don’t know about."

Collins also allegedly "forced" Ms Larke to close her Facebook and Twitter accounts in order to isolate her from her friends and wanted a joint email address so he could read all her emails.

Ms Larke described how Collins was generous and kind, the "perfect boyfriend" at the start of the relationship.

He bought her a laptop, camera, a new Selfridges wardrobe and a \$1,000 (£617) leather dress in New York.

But she told jurors, when the relationship turned abusive, she wanted to leave.

The pair met while Collins was still married. Ms Larke helped him move from Bristol to Kew, southwest London, in January last year before she moved in with him.

The trial continues.