The alleged victim of an attack by a Cheshire councillor got her injuries because he was 'trying to restrain her', a court was told.

Ashley Farrall, who represents Macclesfield Central on Cheshire East Council, is on trial at Chester Crown Court on charges of strangulation and trying to pervert the course of justice, both of which he denies.

The court had previously heard Farrall and his partner began rowing while watching TV, with the argument continuing in the upstairs bedroom.

The jury heard the incident culminated in Farrall allegedly pushing her against the banister and grabbing her throat with one hand while their six-month-old son was in the next room.

The court was shown pictures of the alleged victim's bruises.

Giving evidence on Wednesday (August 6), the alleged victim's mum said she had met with Farrall in the weeks after the alleged attack and asked him about the injuries.

Giving evidence from behind a screen, she told the court: "I said 'what about the big bruise on her back?' and he said 'that happened while I was restraining her'."

She told the court she thought Farrall may have been having a 'breakdown' when the incident was alleged to have occurred.

She said: "I do know that he should not have done it. He was not normally like that. I believed it was due to stress or that he had had a breakdown."

Farrall is also alleged to have tried to pervert the course of justice following the alleged incident and, despite being prohibited from contacting his partner as part of his bail conditions, had provided her with a 'burner' phone to communicate.

He had also met with her at Poynton Pool and Prestatyn and they had discussed her retracting her statement.

The court was told the alleged victim had gathered legal advice for him and had initiated one of the meetings with him, which he initially declined but did subsequently attend. She also bought SIM cards for their burner phones.

She had said she wanted Farrall to 'admit what he had done' and plead guilty, but he had instead pleaded not guilty during his initial plea hearing.

Also giving evidence from behind a screen she told the court he had acted 'out of character', adding: "I was worried about him. We had both been through a lot.

"I felt he had had a mental breakdown and I tried to help him."

Farrall denies the charges.

The trial continues.