hospital for four days with a broken arm and cuts and bruises.

Sharon Davis was testifying in the Magistrates' Court trial of her ex-fiance, Lucas Spence.

Spence, 62, of West Avenue, Southampton, has denied causing grievous bodily arm to Davis on October 7, 1994.

Davis, an executive secretary for the Bermuda Government, described her relationship with Spence as abusive.

She told the court that as she was leaving Spence's apartment on October 7, last year, she felt a blow at the back of her neck and fell to her knees.

Davis said Spence had something white or beige in his hands and the object was long, roughly two or three feet.

She explained that she screamed for help while he was beating her again with the instrument.

"I had my hand above my face to protect my head,'' Davis said. "He hit me about ten times or more.'' She added that she pleaded for him to stop hitting her but Spence continued to beat her.

Davis said her former fiance threatened to kill her.

She suffered a broken left arm, cuts to her wrists which required 11 stitches, bruises to the back of her head and had to wear a neck brace for a couple of days in King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

As a result of the alleged beating, Davis said arthritis had set into the bone in her neck. She said she also experienced ringing in her left ear, and suffers from frequent headaches and blurred vision due to the tension in her head.

Davis said that she also had to wear a brace on her arm because fluid often built up in it.

But under cross-examination, Spence's lawyer Mr. Peter Farge asked Davis about an incident where she stabbed Spence with scissors causing him to go to the hospital for 11 stitches to his left shoulder.

Davis said she had stabbed Spence in self-defence.

Farge also asked Davis if she was in St. Brendan's Hospital because she tried to commit suicide.

Davis responded saying: "Yes, I overdosed because he was strung out on drugs.'' She then broke down in tears, saying, "I was embarrassed because people were telling me he was on hard drugs and was no good for me and I didn't want to believe it,'' Davis said.

She also admitted that when she was 20 years old she was convicted of using marijuana.

The case was heard before Acting Magistrate the Wor. Kenneth Brown while Ms Charlene Scott appeared on behalf of the Crown.