The trial is underway for a 31-year-old man charged after his then-girlfriend was allegedly choked on an industrial shop floor in Sundre early in 2009.The accused faces charges of choking with intent and three counts of assault. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.His trial before Judge W. J. Cummings got underway in Didsbury provincial court on Wednesday.Testifying for the Crown, Jenna Vincent said the accused assaulted her over a 45-minute period on March 4, 2009.The accused pushed and shoved her around the shop before pushing her to the ground, straddling her and wrapping his hands around her neck, she said.ìWhen he was choking me I couldn't breathe,î she said.She said while the accused was choking her he said, ìYou're not going to get up. You're not getting out of here.îShe said she suffered bruising to her neck, arms and chest in the incident.During cross-examination by defence, she said she kicked the accused as he was choking her in an attempt to get him to release her.ìI wanted him off me,î she said. ìI was scared for my life. He intentionally went on top of me. He went intentionally for my neck.îShe said in a second incident some months later, the accused grabbed her and caused bruising.She said in a third incident some time after the second incident the accused pushed her on ice outside their home, causing her to fall and hit her head on the ground.Testifying for the Crown, Roseanne Hoffman said she saw extensive bruising on the complainant when she came to Hoffman's residence on a morning sometime in late February or early March 2009.She said those injuries included dark red and purple bruises on both sides of the woman's neck, and broken blood vessels in the woman's eyes.Testifying for the Crown, Danielle Scarrott, who lived at the same residence as Hoffman, said she saw numerous injuries on the complainant's body.ìThey were black and purple bruises,î said Scarrott.During cross-examination by defence, Scarrott said the injuries ìlooked like a handprint on her neck.îAccused Aaron Dawson will be back in court on Feb. 8 to set a date for continuation of the trial.
