A bankrupt electrician who is accused of strangling his ex-girlfriend on a camping trip told a jury that it “never happened”.

Tom Verrall, 33, said Millie Windsor attacked him in the back of his van after accusing him of cheating on her.

He denies strangling Ms Windsor who claimed he “flew” at her, pinned her down and chucked her out of his van “like a bag of rubbish”.

Verrall, of Gordon Road in Fishergate, said the pair had been out all day for afternoon tea in Eastbourne before driving to a campsite in Steyning at 5pm where they started drinking.

Lewes Crown Court sitting in Brighton Magistrates’ heard that they went to a pub in nearby Bramber. He claimed that when they left at 10.30pm, Ms Windsor accused him of cheating.

“We argued the whole way back to the campsite," he said. "We had a beer each in the van and the arguments continued.

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“She set up a WhatsApp group up and said people I messaged on Tinder were her friends and she was going to read them all out to me. They were catfishing.

“I denied it then admitted that I went on one date with a girl but nothing happened.

“She attacked me in the van. We were lying top and tail when I told her. She jumped on me, hit me, scratched me. I forcibly chucked her out of the van. She was quite drunk and fell heavily then came back at me.

“I pushed her back over and she ran back again and I pushed her head back over. She fell very heavily.”

Tayo Adebayo, defending, asked about the strangling accusation on that night on August 27, 2022.

Verrall said: “That never happened. She left the van, she walked to the tent next door. I handed over her hand bag and her phone.”

Verrall admits stalking and assault occasioning ABH but denies stalking with fear of violence and intentional strangulation.

Ms Windsor told the court on Monday that she “could not breathe” and she thought she was going to die.

The court heard that he messaged, emailed, sent videos and a letter to her. Part of the letter said he was “so ashamed” and his parents “completely washed their hands” of him when he told them.

Verrall told the jury that he was getting counselling for mental health problems after his business filed for bankruptcy in January 2022 following Covid.

He told the court that enforcement officers turned up at his house to take possessions due to money he owed.

Ms Windsor told the court on Monday that she confronted him about his claims that he was going to prison for fraud and that he even made her write a fake witness statement about him. Ms Windsor said she realised "it was all a lie”.

She also said that he accused her of being with a new man.

He described the relationship as "toxic".

The trial continues.