A POLICE officer who denies strangling his ex-girlfriend has said he suffered a breakdown after being arrested over alleged domestic violence.

PC Kaljit Sander faces six allegations over alleged assaults, inappropriate comments made to colleagues and providing false accounts to line managers as part of a Cleveland Police misconduct hearing.

The officer, who served in neighbourhood policing and incident response teams within the force, denies all six breaches and says a relationship with his former partner between 2014 and 2016 was “very loving”.

PC Sander’s ex-girlfriend told the misconduct panel on Monday that she had been punched in the face and strangled by her then-boyfriend of Tudhoe Colliery, County Durham, during a two-week holiday in Cancun, Mexico.

However, PC Sander said yesterday he was scratched in the face by the woman after she drunkenly attempted to climb over their 14th floor balcony railing twice during the first week of their trip.

The County Durham woman returned home early from the holiday and the pair briefly split up before continuing their relationship until PC Sander’s arrest.

The couple had returned from a night out in January when police were called to PC Sander’s home by the officer himself and a neighbour who overheard his ex-girlfriend shouting to be let into his property.

Durham Police arrested PC Sander over the alleged assault in Mexico after the officer had previously been convicted of domestic violence towards a previous partner in 2014 – however, his suspended sentence was eventually quashed in Newcastle Crown Court.

PC Sander became emotional during the hearing and said: “I had a bit of a breakdown to be honest.

“I was taken to Darlington Police Station. I started crying in the back of the car and the sergeant is saying, ‘are you alright, son’ and I said, ‘no, I’ve been here before’.

“I said I couldn’t believe I’m going through this again as it took a year of my away and I’m thinking I couldn’t end this nightmare.”

PC Sander added he was “gobsmacked” when Cleveland Police colleagues made statements against him over offensive comments he allegedly made at work.

The hearing continues on Wednesday.