RIVER City actor Iain Robertson dragged a woman by the hair during an alleged assault that led to her calling her mother for help, a court heard.
Robertson was said to have lashed out months after it was claimed he had left her “cowering” in fear during an earlier incident at his flat.
The woman — who was then a fellow actor — told how she was left “scared, shaken and vulnerable” by the 45 year-old.
She ended their relationship, but stated Roberston bombarded her with an “obsessive” amount of calls and texts.
He also sent gifts to the theatres she was working at — including Graze snack boxes.
Roberston is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
He denies eight charges - spanning between 2004 and 2020 — involving four females including raping one.
A 40 year-old woman today/yesterday gave evidence and told how she first met Robertson via a director they knew around late 2012.
Robertson faces two charges of assault and another of engaging in abusive behaviour.
The woman was about to graduate from drama school at the time they met.
The pair became friends before starting a relationship.
This would involve spending time together in Glasgow and also London, where she had landed an acting job.
The witness described Roberston as initially “charming”.
But, she added his behaviour became “emotionally controlling and manipulative” allegedly moving on to “threats and then physical violence”.
Prosecutor John Keenan KC questioned the woman on such incidents she claimed occurred.
An assault was said to have happened at his Glasgow home in late 2014 after a row.
The woman told jurors: “I ended up on the floor - I do not know how I got there.
“He dragged me by the hair from the bedroom into the hall.
“I was trying to make it stop. It was painful. I was trying to stop my hair being pulled.
“Once in the hall, he let go — I stood up and said: ‘We are finished, we are over’.”
The woman called her mother, who Robertson allegedly tried to push when she turned up.
The trial heard Robertson also grabbed a treasured clock belonging to the witness and damaged it.
The woman also spoke about an earlier incident in 2014 the day before she due to go to a photoshoot for acting work.
Describing an argument, she claimed he “lunged” at her adding: “Something happened where I was cowering because I thought he was going to hit me.
“He said: ‘If you think I am going to f***ing hit you, I will’.
"I had my hands and arms over my head. I do not remember if he struck me or not."
The woman later fell asleep and awoke to find a scratch at her nose.
She said: “He had been behaving aggressively, like posturing forwards into my space.
“He was angry about something. It was really horrible. He was almost like 'I will teach you a lesson...if you behave this way, I will do this'.”
Mr Keenan asked the woman how she felt after this alleged encounter.
She stated: “I was just so scared of the situation...shaken, vulnerable, like being belittled.
“Instead of going into the photoshoot empowered, I felt small or like mousey.”
The relationship was said to have ended in early 2015.
The woman was back in London rehearsing an acting job when she claimed Robertson became jealous again at her being out with fellow cast members after rehearsals.
She recalled: “I said to him 'That is enough' and I broke up with him over the phone.
“He said I could not break up with him like that and I replied: “Yes, I can and yes, I was.”
The woman claimed Robertson continued to contact her that night leading to her switching her phone off.
When she put it back on, she said there were 90 missed calls inccluding a six-minute voicemail.
The woman also alleged Robertson had been tracking what threatres she was performing in.
She said he sent flowers to the “press night” of the show she was in. The witness also got the Graze snack boxes, which she told the court she did not want.
The woman gave further examples of Robertson's alleged behaviour towards her.
This included claims he appeared to have an issue with her having male friends and would make derogatory comments about other people she knew.
He was also said to believe the woman's mother did not like him resulting in the witness seeing her less.
She further told the trial Robertson “drank a lot” describing him at one stage as a “violent alcoholic”.
In a further alleged incident, the woman claimed she was left frightened after a row about directions during a drive while on a trip in Moray.
She said: “I just remember thinking how can I removed myself safely.”
The trial earlier heard today/yesterday the conclusion of the testimony from another woman who claims she was raped by Robertson.
The pair knew each other having met while working on River City.
This woman was asked by Robertson's then KC Paul Nelson, during the pre-recorded evidence, if he had ever spoken to her in 2019 about how he was apparently “struggling” with their relationship.
She did not remember.
The lawyer then put to her if she had been aware Robertson had spoken to fellow River City actor Stephen Purdon – who plays Bob O'Hara – about them.
The woman: “I do not think so.”
Mr Nelson concluded his questioning by stating Robertson did not rape or sexually assault her.
She replied: “That is incorrect.”
The trial, before Lady Drummond, continues.
