A former Playboy Model of the Year received deaths threats after allegedly attacking another woman in a Brighton nightclub cubicle, a court heard today.

Louise Glover, 26, told jurors she called in police after receiving threatening emails and text messages days after she is said to have repeatedly punched Maxine Hardcastle.

Hove Crown Court heard that Glover, who has made semi-naked appearances in magazines and newspapers, assaulted Miss Hardcastle in a jealous bust-up over her husband.

Miss Hardcastle - the daughter of '80s musician Paul Hardcastle - said she was left with bruising on her face, scratches on her arms and legs and hair loss after Glover pulled her up from the floor.

Glover, dressed in black trousers, a spotted shirt and a black tank top, today claimed she acted in self-defence after Miss Hardcastle became emotional and gripped her arms tightly while they were in the same toilet cubicle together.

Days after the alleged attack, she started receiving abusive messages, she said.

Glover told the court: "I was getting death threats actually. I got very worried and scared. I went to my local police."

She said she was "confused" when police arrested her on suspicion of assault a day later, on December 21 2007, as she believed officers were visiting to investigate the threatening messages.

The assault is said to have happened after Miss Hardcastle and her friend Nancy Stillwell had been invited by Glover to an event she hosted at a bar in Brighton, East Sussex, on December 15 2007.

The party moved on in the early hours of the following morning to the Oceana nightclub in the city where Miss Hardcastle and Miss Stillwell went to the same toilet cubicle together.

Glover, who was in another cubicle, said she heard "bickering" and her name mentioned by the two women.

She said: "I knocked on the cubicle and said, 'What's going on?' and 'Are you all right?'

"I knew something wasn't right because Maxine told me she was upset and mentioned something about problems with her mum and dad and an ex-boyfriend.

"She was waffling along a lot. I was in between the conversation and I didn't really understand it.

"I just said, 'Let's go and enjoy ourselves, don't worry about anything to do with your mum and dad or any ex-boyfriend.

"I put my arms round both of them."

Glover, of Audley Gardens, Loughton, Essex, denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

As she embraced the two women, Glover said she spilt some of her drink on Miss Stillwell, who went outside the cubicle to dry her dress on a hand-dryer.

Glover said that Miss Hardcastle then started weeping while they were in the cubicle alone together. She claimed Miss Hardcastle got "into a state" and grabbed her arm after accusing her of not listening to her problems.

"I said that I didn't understand and, 'What are you waffling on about?' said Glover. "I said I hadn't got a clue about her ex. I whacked her arm off me after saying to her, 'Get off, it's pathetic'.

"She was over me, which was intimidating. I reached down for my bag and thought that I didn't want to be in this scenario. She was just going on about why I wasn't listening.

"I didn't understand a word she was saying."

After Miss Hardcastle allegedly grabbed both her arms for a second time on the forearms, Glover said she "whacked" her round the face with an open hand.

She said: "It was hard enough to stop her being hysterical. It was the second time she had grabbed me and it was after the eighth or 10th time that I had asked her to get off me."

She said Miss Hardcastle's nose started bleeding and claimed that she refused to allow her out of the cubicle. After hearing her husband call out, Glover replied, "She won't get off me'."

The cubicle door flew open, Glover said, causing it to hit Miss Hardcastle on the face twice. Glover denied striking her head against the toilet rim repeatedly or trying to force her head down the lavatory.

She also denied telling Miss Hardcastle and Miss Stillwell: "I know what you Essex girls are like."

The case continues.