A senior federal public servant has been accused of physically and sexually assaulting his wife numerous times during their marriage.
Justin Isaac Benn, an assistant director at the Department of Health and Aged Care, is facing trial in the ACT Supreme Court over the family violence allegations.
His alleged victim has consented to being identifiable in media reporting.
The Charnwood man has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual intercourse without consent, three counts of committing an act of indecency without consent, and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
On Monday, the jury trial's fifth day, Benn took the witness box to deny several accusations and be tested under cross-examination.
"Just f---ing stop ... I'll punch you in the f---ing head," he admitted yelling during one alleged incident.
The alleged victim and several prosecution witnesses previously gave evidence.
The court heard about several alleged violent incidents taking place between 2013 and 2021 when the pair were married.
Over that time, Benn is accused of pushing his wife into a dishwasher, tackling her onto the ground, hitting her in the head with a cordial bottle, throwing a saw at her, and twice choking her.
He is not charged for many of the alleged acts.
"F--- you. How do you not understand I don't want to be beaten to a pulp," the alleged victim texted Benn, whose messages often accused the woman of lying.
Jurors also heard Benn allegedly performed oral sex on the sleeping woman without her consent numerous times, and once began penile-vaginal sex while she was sleeping and again not consenting.
The man denied these allegations but admitted to having a temper, being jealous, throwing "tantrums", slamming doors, once breaking a door handle, and three times angrily punching a hole in a wall.
"I would lose my cool at times," Benn said.
The man agreed punching holes in his home's walls would have been frightening for family members but denied doing so in order to cause fear.
He also admitted to once aggressively throwing his phone into the bathroom, where his wife was standing, and smashing its screen. He denied the throw was aimed at the alleged victim.
"I'm sorry for how poorly I mistreat you. Words can't fix the damage or bring back the photos," he texted her, referring to family photos lost on the broken phone.
Text messages also show Benn threatened to stomp on his wife's broken foot.
Finally, Benn admitted throwing and hitting her leg with a glass bottle of hair oil, spraying her with a shower during an argument, and pushing the alleged victim into a table and holding her after claiming she had yelled and head-butted him.
When asked in court why he threw the glass bottle at his wife, Benn responded: "Because I was angry."
"I put it to you you've repeatedly tried to downplay your conduct within the relationship while you've been giving evidence today - do you agree or disagree with that?" prosecutor Marcus Dyason asked.
Benn replied: "Disagree."
Mr Dyason also questioned Benn about text messages he had sent to another man calling him a "f---ing dog" for reportedly being in a relationship with the alleged victim.
The married couple had at that stage reportedly agreed to see other people.
"I'm going to f---ing destroy you," Benn texted that man.
The trial continues on Tuesday, when the jury is set to hear closing statements.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732; Canberra Rape Crisis Centre 6247 2525.
