THE jury in the trial of a college lecturer accused of punching his pregnant lover in the stomach after she refused to have an abortion has retired to consider its verdicts.

It is alleged Stephen Lewis attacked her as he drove along a motorway.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how he also threatened to get his colleague fired following their secret affair.

The defendant, who is head of the school of engineering at Coleg Gwent's Newport’s Nash College, denies attacking his fellow lecturer.

Prosecutor Peter Donnison said the 39-year-old also punched his three-month pregnant girlfriend in the mouth, drawing blood, and threatened to kill her.

Lewis, of Mill Court, Hafodyrynys, denies two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, allegedly committed on June 9, 2018.

Giving evidence, the defendant said he “never suggested” that he wanted her to have an abortion and claims he was “very supportive”.

The court heard Lewis, who was already in a long-term relationship with another woman, took the pregnant complainant out for dinner in Cardiff Bay to discuss parenting plans.

The jury were told the pair had argued and the defendant claims he was attacked by her as he drove her home and attempted to filter onto the M4 motorway.

Lewis said: “She was trying to get an answer out of me. I was saying I’m not comfortable about coming to your house.

“She didn’t like it. She became cold and frosty.”

He said the complainant becoming “irate” and quizzed him about where his commitments lay.

“I wasn’t responding to her and I told her I wasn’t going to get involved in this kind of conversation while she was like that," Lewis told the court.

“She started shouting at me because I wasn’t responding to her. She turned to face me in her seat and she just kept shouting. Then she pushed me in the head."

He added: “Then she hit me. She hit me in the head with her fist about six times in total."

The complainant is then alleged to have spat at Lewis, who admitted striking out at her with his hand.

Lewis said: “I lashed out and made contact with her face."

The defendant, who is being defended by Susan Ferrier, claims he acted in self-defence.

He said the complainant demanded to be let out of the car but Lewis refused, saying “I’m not just going to leave a pregnant woman on the motorway at night” before driving her home.

As she made her way into her house the defendant told how the alleged victim turned to him and said: “I’m going to get you ******* done for this. This baby is going to grow up to hate you, I’ll make sure of that.”

Proceeding.