On the outside, she testified they SA国际影视传媒渓ooked like the perfect couple.SA国际影视传媒�

He was SA国际影视传媒済enerousSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渟weet,SA国际影视传媒� she said, gifting her a diamond necklace just two months after they met in Yellowknife.

But behind the picturesque portrait of a young couple, the manSA国际影视传媒檚 former partner testified Wednesday the relationship was anything but perfect.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was so scared for my life,SA国际影视传媒� the woman said, recalling an alleged assault while delivering testimony from behind a screen that blocked her from seeing her ex-partner, who sat a few feet away in NWT territorial court.

The 36-year-old man, who Yellowknifer isnSA国际影视传媒檛 naming in order to protect the identity of his alleged victim, is accused of committing a series of assaults against his former partner, allegedly using his Brazilian jiu-jitsu training to assault and restrain her, between 2013 and 2017 when the couple were living together in Yellowknife.

He faces nine charges, including assault, assault causing bodily harm and forcible confinement. Between January and March 2013, SA国际影视传媒渢hings started to change,SA国际影视传媒� in the once SA国际影视传媒減erfectSA国际影视传媒� relationship, the accusedSA国际影视传媒檚 ex-partner testified.

SA国际影视传媒業 thought I was going to dieSA国际影视传媒�

The repeated abuse began, she testified, with wrist grabbing and arm twisting, often ending with the accused taking her down to the ground, resulting in bruises on her arms and painful strains to her neck and back. The woman admitted to slapping and head-butting him on two occasions, telling the court she felt SA国际影视传媒渟hockedSA国际影视传媒� and embarrassedSA国际影视传媒� afterwards.

Recounting another alleged assault she said she SA国际影视传媒渢ried to forget,SA国际影视传媒� the woman said her ex choked her from behind while he wrapped his legs around her body.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was gasping for air,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚 thought I was going to die.SA国际影视传媒�

She didnSA国际影视传媒檛 seek medical treatment following the incident.

SA国际影视传媒淚 didnSA国际影视传媒檛 know what ISA国际影视传媒檇 even say,SA国际影视传媒� she said, breaking down in tears. SA国际影视传媒淚 didnSA国际影视传媒檛 want to get him in trouble. I thought I brought it onto myself."

Following an alleged assault by the accused in March 2016, she said she did go to the hospital, where her former partner SA国际影视传媒渟at with her the whole time.SA国际影视传媒� The woman said she told a nurse sheSA国际影视传媒檇 fallen on ice and hurt her back.

On Jan. 20, 2017, the woman said the accused pushed her head onto the ground and slammed his knee between her shoulders, and later punching her in the arm.

In a panic, the woman testified, she texted her boss to pick her up. The woman told the court she has been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as anxiety and depression, the result, she said, of SA国际影视传媒渇our years in a very abusive relationship.SA国际影视传媒�

The now former boss, who she is now in a relationship with, testified that when he picked her up, she was on the side of the road not wearing a coat and carrying a SA国际影视传媒渉astily-packed bag,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

The woman received medical treatment for the alleged assault about a month later. The woman sustained tissue damage and bruises, she said.

Complainant was the aggressor, suggests defence

After the woman admitted to leaving scratches and bite marks on the accused during fights, and to self-harming herself twice during the course of the relationship, the manSA国际影视传媒檚 lawyer, Hasaan Jomha, suggested the womanSA国际影视传媒檚 injuries resulted from her ex restraining her from hurting herself or him.

On the night the woman left the accused, defence suggested she started the fight so she could go SA国际影视传媒渃ry wolfSA国际影视传媒� to her then-boss and have him SA国际影视传媒渟ave the day.SA国际影视传媒� She vehemently denied the suggestions.

The accused took the stand Thursday, presenting a starkly different version of the tumultuous relationship. He said the complainant was the aggressor in the alleged assaults and that he was acting in self-defence.

He testified his ex-partner was like SA国际影视传媒� Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,SA国际影视传媒� due to a SA国际影视传媒渕ental condition,SA国际影视传媒� that caused her to self-harm and act SA国际影视传媒渧ery aggressivelySA国际影视传媒� towards him. The man, who told the court heSA国际影视传媒檚 5SA国际影视传媒�4 and weighs 125 pounds, said he was SA国际影视传媒渟cared for his safety,SA国际影视传媒� and would be SA国际影视传媒渢riggeredSA国际影视传媒� into SA国际影视传媒渇earSA国际影视传媒� when sheSA国际影视传媒檇 smash plates or call him names -- remembering the abuse he said he suffered in 2013.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was abused,SA国际影视传媒� he testified.

The man admitted to placing the complainant in a choke hold after "disarming" a knife from her. He testified he disarmed the woman, took her to the ground and then applied a choke hold.

Under cross-examination from prosecutor Martha Chertkow, the accused said he started training in Jiu Jitsu in 2010, two years before he met his former partner. Chertkow grilled the accused about inconsistencies in his testimony and the statement he gave to in May 2018.

SA国际影视传媒榊ou have stolen her storySA国际影视传媒�

The accused admitted to mistakenly blurring together separate incidents involving the alleged assaults. Chertkow suggested that SA国际影视传媒渏ust as you confused incidents, you confused the force you used on (complainant) with self-defence.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淵ou have stolen her story of being a victim and made it your own,SA国际影视传媒� said Chertkow.

The accused denied the CrownSA国际影视传媒檚 theory of events.

Chertkow, in her closing arguments, noted the accused testified he was a SA国际影视传媒渂eginnerSA国际影视传媒� at Jiu Jitsu, but that heSA国际影视传媒檚 been training since 2010. Chertkow argued the man actually has SA国际影视传媒渆xtensive martial arts training,SA国际影视传媒� and despite the accused and complainant being relatively the same size, she said he possessed technical skills she did not. Chertkow said the  accusedSA国际影视传媒檚 use of martial arts training was not reasonable in the circumstances, and that it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 done only for the purpose of defending himself. She said he SA国际影视传媒減inned her down to humiliate herSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渆xert controlSA国际影视传媒� over her.

Chertkow said he fabricated evidence on the witness stand to SA国际影视传媒渃onveniently adopt the victimhood of the complainant.SA国际影视传媒�

Judge Robert Gorin will give a decision on May 3.