A single mum was smashed in the face by her domestic violence counsellor after she turned to him to help deal with her turbulent past.

Attractive Melanie Lumsden, 28, was referred to Paul Geldart, 46, through the women's refuge after her stormy 13-year relationship with her children's father Shaun Kelly broke down.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the counselling sessions led to the pair starting a relationship which she broke off after about six months.

The mum-of-two told the court yesterday how an angry confrontation erupted in violence on August 26 2002 after he saw her in another man's car.

After slamming a photo frame into her face, the court heard how Geldart told her: "I could understand why someone would want to kill you."

Geldart confronted the red-head after she was dropped off at a female friend's house and was upstairs chatting.

Miss Lumsden told the court: "He was red, he had a frustrated, anxious look. He had beads of sweat on his brow, he was aggitated.

"He said he had seen me in Robin's car. He is my friend but when Paul and I started seeing each other he thought Robin was a control freak and didn't want me having anything to do with him.

"I said he had always been in my children's lives and he said I could only speak to him over the phone, I couldn't see him in person."

Miss Lumden told the court how she had accepted a lift from Robin after bumping into him in town.

But she said Geldart called her a "liar" and started making accusations before picking up the frame.

She told the court: "He was having a go, making accusations and then he picked up the frame and had his hand held up in the air.

"I said to him 'don't' because I thought he was going to smash it in a paddy.

"He slammed it into my face. It struck my face and head."

Miss Lumsden was taken to hospital where a 2cm cut to her head was stapled and a 2cm cut to her right cheek was steri-stripped.

She told the court; "I kept saying you know what I've been through, why have you done this to me."

Before leaving Miss Lumsden's pals house, where the children had become hysterical, Geldart said: "I'm sorry for doing it here but I'm not sorry for doing it."

Miss Lumsden told the court how Geldart had been helping her pursue a complaint against the police for not taking no action following some complaints against her former parter.

The court heard how 107 incidents which led to her needing medical treatment were logged with the police and hospital regarding incidents involving her former partner.

Geldart, of Hercules Street, Darlington, County Durham denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm and claims the frame hit her by accident. The trial continues.