Court told of hammer attack

6:33pm Thursday 28th August 2008

A former drug addict told a court her dealer locked her in his house and attacked her with a hammer.

Theresa Hambridge told Oxford Crown Court that a man called Sam - who the prosecution says was Anthony Ramsey - supplied her with crack cocaine from a house in Pembroke Way, Bicester.

Ramsey, 43, of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, denies supplying a controlled class A drug and assault causing actual bodily harm.

Ms Hambridge, who told the court she no longer took drugs, said another drug user smashed a bottle over Sam's head before taking money and drugs from him and fleeing down the street.

She said: "He (Sam) locked me in the house and told me I was in on it, which I wasn't. Then he asked me to sleep with him to make it all better and I said 'No'.

"Then he began to get more violent. He brought out a hammer to hit me, which terrified me.

"I was screaming at him to let me out of the house. He would not let me go. I was struck a couple of times."

John Simmons, defending Ramsey, said: "He did not supply you with drugs that day or on any other occasion, did he?

"You locked the door to try to prevent him following these people and then lost the key.

"You had a sexual relationship with him and it became increasingly possessive on your part."

She denied the claims.

The trial continues.