A WOMAN accused of murder violently assaulted her boyfriend on the day he died, screaming at him: “We should never have met”, a jury heard.

Clare Nicholls is said to have yelled abuse at Andrew Gardner, dragged him around a room and pushed him to the floor.

Details of the alleged assaults emerged during police interviews with her lover, Steven Martin, who described her as a violent control freak.

Mr Martin, 44, said Miss Nicholls, 28, took off her rings before giving Mr Gardner, 35 – the father of her youngest child – “a good beating”, on March 13 last year.

She banged his head on the floor and stood on his head and his already-injured side.

Mr Gardner suffered more than 100 injuries before he died, including 21 rib fractures, bleeding on the brain, multiple burns, cuts and abrasions, as well as possible malnutrition.

The Teesside Crown Court jury yesterday heard claims by Mr Martin after he was rearrested for murder, along with Miss Nicholls and her brother, Simon, 24.

Mr Martin said Mr Gardner was screaming in agony as Miss Nicholls yelled: “You’re a lazy bastard, we should never have met.”

He also claimed he told his lover to stop the assault, but she ignored him, until finally giving up, and repeating three times: “I think I’ve killed him.”

Mr Martin, who has learning difficulties, said: “She has got a bad temper. She would flip and lose it. I was too scared to do anything in case she might do it to me.”

He broke down in tears when he recalled an ambulance crew arriving at the house they shared in Chilton, County Durham, and pronouncing Mr Gardner dead.

Miss Nicholls, Mr Nicholls, and Mr Martin, all of Arthur Street, Chilton, deny murder.

The trial continues.