A MAN planned a series of attacks on a woman his girlfriend thought he was having an affair with, a court has heard.

Fitness instructor Kelly Batchelor was attacked over the head with a hammer-type object outside Ashdown Leisure Centre in Poole, where she worked, and with a weapon outside her home.

Winchester Crown Court heard that Keith Harby, 39, of Long Easton, Nottingham, Robbie Northridge, 19, of no fixed abode, and Lanelle Douglas, 27, of High Main Drive, Bestwood Village, Nottingham, are accused together with three others of conspiring to cause grievous bodily harm with intent between January 1 and September 6 last year.

Prosecutor Stephen Climie told the court that three “co-conspirators” – John Doyle, 35, of Alfreton, Derbyshire; Ian Edgeworth, 26, of Northwood Road, Nottingham; and a man who cannot be named for legal reasons but invented the plan – have previously pleaded guilty to the charge.

Mr Climie told the jury that the three defendants are accused of conspiring to attack Miss Batchelor, then aged 31, on three occasions. He said the first took place at Ashdown Leisure Centre in Poole on August 30 as Miss Batchelor returned to her car.

“She was attacked by her car by Doyle. He was on his own when he struck her with a hammer of some sort. It was an attack with a weapon and blows were struck to her head,” he said.

“Fortunately the attack did not result in any serious injury. That may well be as a result of the intervention of members of the public.”

The second alleged attempt was on September 4, when Doyle attempted to find Miss Batchelor but was unsuccessful, the court was told.

Mr Climie said the alleged third incident happened the following day when Miss Batchelor was attacked with a weapon as she returned home in Wavell Avenue.

Mr Climie told the court that the alleged attacks on Miss Batchelor were the result of a relationship breakdown between her and the unnamed co-conspirator’s girlfriend in the early part of 2012. He said it was this man’s plan to attack Miss Batchelor.

“Their friendship ended because there was a belief that he and Miss Batchelor had had an affair,” he said.

“It wasn’t true.”

Mr Climie said on September 2, the man paid £1,500 to undergo a lie detector test.

“Apparently the purpose was to demonstrate that he had not had a relationship, an affair, sexual fling with Miss Batchelor,” he said.

Mr Climie told the jury that they would hear evidence of mobile phone and automatic number plate recognition details linking the defendants with each other and the Dorset area at the time of the alleged attacks.

Harby, Northridge and Douglas deny the charge. The trial continues.