Ex: Lee-Collins Gave Me 'Hundreds Of Bruises'

The television presenter and comedian Justin Lee Collins has been described as "jealous, obsessive and calculating".

The claim was made by his ex-girlfriend Anna Larke when she was giving evidence at St Alban's Crown Court against her former partner.

She claimed 38-year-old Collins had given her "hundreds" of bruises.

Ms Larke, a 38-year-old public relations professional, described to the court how Collins had pushed her into the path of an oncoming vehicle when on a night out with TV presenter Alan Carr.

"I was with him and Alan Carr. Justin shoved me in the back and pushed me into the traffic. He was drunk. I was lucky a man stepped in to save me."

When asked why she did not leave him, she replied: "I didn't want to do it to Justin. He was the love of my life."

The couple began their relationship in 2010 after Collins' marriage broke down. Ms Larke helped him leave Bristol and move to Kew, west London.

She denied being a "fantasist" but admitted she had a fear of being dumped by Collins. When asked by defence QC Sonia Woodley if Collins took her to expensive restaurants, Ms Larke replied: "Yes. But that doesn't justify him hitting me."

The court was shown photographs taken while the pair were on holiday in Miami. They were shown what were alleged to be bruises on Ms Larke's arm inflicted by Collins. She said: "He's given me hundreds of bruises."

Ms Larke admitted it was "a possibility" she had sent her boyfriend a message early on their relationship suggesting she had a past he did not know about. It said: "You should dump me. There are things you don't know about me."

Asked if she had a drug problem, Ms Larke replied: "I'm not a coke head. I might've taken a line of coke."

The court has been told Collins interrogated Ms Larke to learn as much as he could about her past. It was claimed he wanted to know everything about her former boyfriends, lovers and sexual experiences.

Ms Larke claimed Collins justified it by saying: "Because I'm famous I don't want anything coming out in the papers about my girlfriend that I don't know about."

Ms Larke claims this was because Collins wanted "ultimate control" over her.

Collins denies the charge of putting a person in fear of violence by harassment.

The trial continues.