A man accused of sexually assaulting his wife told Police he had never attempted to have sex with her on the night in question, a court heard yesterday.

The 28-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave a voluntary statement to officers soon after his wife alleged he had attacked her at their Devonshire home in December last year.

He said he had been out with his friend during the early hours as he was leaving the Island on the early morning flight and he wanted to help him prepare for his departure.

But he said when he returned home sometime between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., his wife began to shout and scream at him, and physically attacked him.

Reading his statement in Magistrates' Court yesterday, Det. Con. Colin King said the accused had told him that his wife had thrown a helmet at him, which hit him on the hand, before striking him in the face.

And in his statement to Police, the husband also said his wife had thrown a number of other things at him as she ranted about where he had been until that time, and with whom.

He told officers his wife had told him she was tired of him and could not be bothered with their relationship anymore.

He went on to say how he told his wife to sit down so they could talk, and told her he was her husband and he loved her.

However, the husband said that at no time had he tried to have sex with his wife, or made any advances towards her.

He has denied the charge of sexual assault.

In his statement, the husband said: "I grabbed her hands to try to stop her from hitting me. I tried hugging her while she was packing (her belongings to leave).

"I told her to stop to try and work things out. I held on to her tightly and that's when she squeezed my testicles. I bit her to get her to stop."

Earlier during the trial, the 41-year-old woman claimed that her husband had tried to force himself on her while pinning her to the bedroom floor and the bed.

She said he had tried to force her legs apart with his knees during a row that turned into a physical fight.

The wife said in order to save herself from being raped while on the floor, she wiggled the bottom half of her body under the bed, but he had tried to pull her out using the top of her underwear and pyjama bottoms.

She said his pulling of her clothing caused the garments to cut into her, causing pain, so she reached for scissors and cut her clothing off.

And she said when he failed to stop attacking her, she squeezed his testicles as he tried to enter her with his erect penis.

The woman, who has two children, told the court that she was finally able to go to the bathroom to clean up her cuts and bruises, and when she returned her husband was asleep. She then called relatives and went to hospital for treatment for the visible injuries.

However, when questioned by Police, the husband said he had been trying to pull her out from under the bed by her arm and shoulder because he wanted to talk to her.

And he said the only time he had grabbed her clothing was when she was trying to leave the bedroom, which had caused her to cut her clothing off.

Asked whether he had sexually assaulted his wife, or tried to have sex, he said: "I never did. Honest to God. I never entered her, that is the truth. I did not try that in anyway."

However, he said earlier in the night, his wife had suggested to him that they make love, and he had ignored her.

The trial, before magistrate William Francis, continues tomorrow. Prosecuting for the Crown is Charmaine Smith, and defending the accused in Larry Scott.