Ex-Olympian's wife 'feared he would kill her'

The GP woman of a erstwhile Olympic jock feared she was "going to extremity up dead" if she did not permission their marriage, a assemblage has heard.

Curtis Robb, 54, is alleged to person repeatedly oregon continuously engaged successful controlling and coercive behaviour towards Sarah Robb betwixt December 2015 and August 2023.

Robb, who competed for Great Britain successful the 800 metres astatine the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games and went connected to go a surgeon, is said to person assaulted and threatened her, called her names and subjected her to "constant criticism".

On proceedings astatine Chester Crown Court, helium denies each the charges against him.

Prosecutor Paulinus Barnes told jurors the couple, who were some aesculapian professionals, had been unneurotic for much than 22 years and had 3 children.

He added: "On the aboveground they seemed similar a blessed and palmy couple, but determination was a acheronian broadside to their relationship.

"Over many, galore years, Curtis Robb was not lone cruel to his wife, helium was besides physically violent.

"Matters came to a caput during a household vacation successful Easter 2023 successful the Lake District, and successful October of that twelvemonth Sarah Robb yet told the constabulary what had been happening to her."

Following an statement successful their room, the tribunal heard, Ms Robb said the suspect held a pillow implicit her look successful an "unprovoked attack".

The authoritative added: "She does not cognize however agelong helium held it there, but she remembers that she was starting to consciousness similar she couldn't breathe.

"After that incident, she said the penny dropped, and she aboriginal told constabulary 'It was stone bottommost due to the fact that I knew past I had to leave, if I didn't permission I was going to extremity up dead'."

Robb, of Northwich, Cheshire, denies controlling and coercive behaviour and besides suffocation.

Barnes said Ms Robb described to constabulary a past assaults by the orthopaedic surgeon passim their marriage.

She elaborate 2 incidents successful which she said she was struck by Robb during her gestation with their 3rd kid – 1 successful which helium "thumped her" connected the limb which near bruising, and different successful which helium punched her connected the limb and successful her broadside portion helium was driving.

Barnes said: "She described the benignant of things helium would accidental to her done the marriage, specified arsenic calling her 'a manipulative bitch' and 'neurotic'.

"He said she could not header arsenic a parent and belittled her nonrecreational relation arsenic a GP and said she could header successful that occupation either.

"Over the years, she says, she learned not to react, to accidental nothing, to not amusement immoderate emotions due to the fact that she knew the consequences if she did.

"During erstwhile incidents erstwhile she said helium had been convulsive to her, helium had managed to transportation her to judge that these had been her fault, that she had someway brought it upon herself, that she deserved it and no-one would ever judge her."

The authoritative said Robb claimed she was "the controlling one".

"He accepted that during the Easter vacation successful 2023 determination had been an argument. He said helium had thrown a pillow astatine Sarah but denied putting it implicit her look and suffocating her."