A MAN repeatedly beat and strangled his girlfriend until she passed out after she refused to get his drugs, a court heard.

Richard Waterhouse, 35, of Chancellor Road, Southend is standing trial at Basildon Crown Court accused of repeatedly hitting and strangling the woman at her home in Basildon.

Yesterday the jury in the case heard Waterhouse had previously been convicted of manslaughter after stabbing someone to death.

Prosecuting, Oliver Kirk told the jury the woman was left bruised after the attack.

He said: “We say on November 13 the victim and the defendant went to get some medication for her from All Cures in Whitmore Way, Basildon and made their way back to her flat in Havengore, Basildon.

“The defendant took the medication and started to get agitated and said he wanted to get some cocaine and the victim refused to do this for him.

“He then got more agitated and seeing this, the victim went to the kitchen and hid her kitchen knives.”

He told the jury the victim knew Waterhouse had been in trouble for manslaughter which he admitted in 2016 and how he had stabbed someone fatally.

Mr Kirk said that was why the victim decided to hide her knives and there was an exchange of words between the pair to the effect of whether she thought he was going to kill her.

He added: “It appears that caused the defendant to lose his temper and he punched her repeatedly and pulled her to the floor, kicking her arms and legs while she was on the ground and he strangled her until she passed out.

“She lashed out at him and he had injuries. He also dragged her around the flat by her hair and then told her he wanted cash and she took him to a cash point at Felmores and went back to the flat and he disappeared.”

He told the court Waterhouse told police there had been incident and she had pestered him for sex, lost her temper and hit him and he used reasonable force to defend himself.

The trial continues.