A SOLDIER accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend before slitting her throat received a restraining order for a former lover after he spat in her face in the street.

Lance Corporal Trimaan “Harry” Dhillon is accused of breaking into Alice Ruggles’ ground-floor flat and leaving her in the blood-soaked bathroom when he thought she was about to start seeing another man.

Newcastle Crown Court heard 24-year-old Ms Ruggles had previously told Northumbria Police she felt terrified by Dhillon but chose not to have him arrested.

He denies murdering the former Northumbria University student, who was originally from Leicestershire and worked for Sky in Newcastle.

Prosecutor Richard Wright QC told the jury after a previous relationship had ended, he accosted the woman in the street in Kent. “He confronted her and during the confrontation he demanded to know why she had ended the relationship,” he said.

“She was joined by a male friend and he said ‘is this who you are sleeping with?.”

Playing the jury CCTV footage of the incident, Mr Wright said he eventually ran away after calling her a bitch and spitting in her face.

He was charged with common assault but on the day of the trial the case was discontinued after he accepted a restraining order for a year.

The jury was also told Dhillon had been sleeping with two other women while he had been seeing Ms Ruggles.

He is accused of travelling from his barracks near Edinburgh on October 10 and breaking in through her bedroom window.

Mr Wright said there was a violent struggle through the flat which an upstairs neighbour heard. Dhillon drew the blade across her neck six times in the attack, the court heard.

The murder weapon has not been found, but a knife was missing from the kitchen.

Beginning his defence, Dhillon, 26, told the court his relationship with Ms Ruggles had begun over Facebook while he was serving in Afghanistan. He said they had been introduced by a mutual friend.

Dhillon said he wanted to take things slowly because of how a previous relationship had ended.

During questioning from Jamie Hill QC, defending, he said the subject of marriage did eventually come up, but they had kept it to themselves. “She brought marriage up, she showed me a ring with a blue gem on it and said do you like this kind of ring,” he said.

But he said their relationship also often involved arguing and some periods when they would be apart.

The case continues.