A WOMAN was left with blood pouring down her face when her domestic violence counsellor slammed a picture frame into her face, a court heard.

Melanie Lumsden, 28, started a relationship with former JP Paul Geldart, who she met when he was assigned to support her by Darlington Women's Refuge, after she came out of a 13-year violent relationship.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that Mr Geldart, 46, and the mother-of-two had split up when the alleged assault took place on Monday, August 26, 2002, at the home of her friend, Sharon Hardy.

Miss Lumsden said Mr Geldart arrived at the house in an agitated mood, because he was unhappy at seeing her earlier with family friend Robin Dodds, who is now her fiance.

She said that when she tried to calm Mr Geldart down, he became angry.

"He picked the frame up and had his hand held up in the air," she said. "Then he slammed it straight into my face."

She added: "I said 'Why have you done this when you know what I have been through?' and he said 'I can understand why someone would want to kill you.'"

Chris Morrison, defending, said Miss Lumsden lived in a "fantasy world" and was obsessed with domestic violence.

He said she had reported 109 domestic incidents to police, only one of which led to a conviction, and had fabricated evidence to frame men on two occasions.

He said Mr Geldart did not deliberately throw the frame at her and described her description of it being "slammed" into her face as a gross exaggeration.

Mr Morrison said she had twisted the facts.

"He went to throw the picture on to the floor, he didn't deliberately aim it at you," he said.

Miss Lumsden replied: "He threw it at my face, he slammed it at my face. He split my head and split my face and that is wrong."

Sharon Hardy, who witnessed the incident, insisted it was not an accident.

"He committed a crime in my house in front of my three children," she said.

Mr Geldart, of Hercules Street, Darlington, denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The case continues.