OXFORD WOMAN CLAIMS RAPE-ACCUSED THREATENED TO 'SLIT HER THROAT'
An alleged victim claims a rape-accused man threatened to 'slit her throat' after he 'lied to her about being a police officer'.Steven Tanner, of Goldsmiths Lane, Wallingford, is on trial at Oxford Crown Court.
The 51-year-old has denied controlling and coercive behaviour, three counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one of sexual assault.
He has also pleaded not guilty to causing suffering to a dog.
The alleged offences are said to have been committed between March and September 2021.
On Thursday, November 6, the jury heard evidence from the woman.
She explained she was frightened and brainwashed, believing Tanner's false claims of being a police officer who had the power to arrest.
She said: "He confused me and told me things he was allowed to do.
He made me believe it was true." She also mentioned her emotional support dog, whom Tanner is accused of kicking, and expressed her suspicion that her mobile phone had been cloned, as certain apps and passwords were altered.
The woman recounted that Tanner threatened to handcuff her and called his brother to sort her out, explicitly stating he would slit her throat.
The case suggests Tanner took advantage of her vulnerable state, suffering from emotionally unstable personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, and extreme social anxiety, which confined her mostly at home.
The trial continues.
