A POLICE detective accused of assaulting his estranged wife told officers in interview that he pushed her in self defence, a trial heard.

Detective Constable David Alway is standing trial at Southampton Crown Court accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Tamsyn Alway.

Prosecutors allege that a push from the Dorset Police officer caused Mrs Alway to fall to the ground and cause an injury to hear head, hand and shoulder.

The accusation dates back to December 2019 and is said to have taken place at their then Bournemouth home.

In his police statement, which was made in interview, and read to the court yesterday, Alway, 41, told officers: “I pushed Tamsyn in self defence.

“She was standing directly in front of me, shouting and screaming at me, saying she hated me.

“She previously assaulted me four or five months ago, she punched me in the face. At that time it was very similar circumstances.”

He added: “I pushed her with two hands with no intention of hurting her, to get her away from me. I was concerned at what she would do to me.”

The court heard that Mrs Alway had said she was pushed in the back by her husband, but in his police statement he disputed this, stating that the push was to the side and front.

Sheelagh Rogers, the complainant's mother, said in a statement read to court that her daughter had been married to the defendant for five years and they had been together 10 years.

They had been living in Bath but relocated to Bournemouth in 2018.

She said her daughter had ended the marriage in June 2019 but they remained living in the same house but in separate bedrooms as neither could afford to move to a new house.

Ms Rogers said that her daughter had told her that Alway had “burst into her room” and “grabbed her around the neck” in a previous incident in July that year.

She said her daughter told her that Alway had been angered after reading text messages on her phone.

Ms Rogers said that she spoke to her daughter on the morning after the December incident and said she was “in a very distressed state”.

Neither Alway, whose address was given in court as now in Poole, or Mrs Alway made a formal complaint about the July incident.

Alway denies the charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and the trial continues.

A Dorset Police spokesman said that Alway had been placed on restricted duties following the allegation.