Black Hawk Down actor in court

Ms Fleiss was also in tears as she detailed Mr Sizemore's alleged attacks

Hollywood actor Tom Sizemore gave his ex-girlfriend Heidi Fleiss a "black eye and fat lip" after an assault, a court has heard.

Mr Sizemore, 41, star of such films as Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down, is facing 16 charges of domestic violence, threats, witness intimidation, property destruction and obscene and harassing phone calls.

He is pleading not guilty to the charges, many of which concern incidents alleged to have taken place during the couple's year-long relationship.

The pair, who met in January 2001, moved in together in August of that year but broke up in 2002.

Ms Fleiss, 37, broke down in tears during her testimony against Mr Sizemore in a Los Angeles courtroom, after Mr Sizemore's lawyers branded her a "liar".

'Dragged across room'

She told the court she had suffered a string of alleged attacks by Mr Sizemore.

She said that in an alleged incident in May 2002, Mr Sizemore had "dragged me across the room by my hair" and had left her with a "black eye and fat lip".

She said the attacks came after she had confronted Mr Sizemore over reports he had slept with prostitutes on a film shoot.

Ms Fleiss told the court she had also been attacked in November 2001, after she had appeared on the Howard Stern radio show and admitted she did not like Mr Sizemore's latest film.

"Tom (got) very mad at me because I said that I didn't like the movie (Black Hawk Down) ... He hit me. It was terrible," she said. She also claimed he had stubbed out a cigarette on her.

Ms Fleiss added she had not called police over the assault because she was on parole after serving a jail term for money laundering and tax evasion.

"Because I'm 'evil Heidi, convicted criminal'," she said. "The worst thing for me would be to go to prison."

Ms Fleiss achieved notoriety in the early 1990s when she was named as the organiser of sex parties for Hollywood stars. Prosecutors tried to force her to disclose a "black book" of stars who used prostitutes.

Before Ms Fleiss' testimony, Mr Sizemore's lawyer Michael Fitzgerald told the jury her allegations would be disproved during the trial.

"Tom Sizemore is innocent. Heidi Fleiss is a liar," he said.

Five of Mr Sizemore's assault charges stem from an alleged incident of domestic abuse lodged by another woman.

Mr Sizemore was in court but did not make any statements.

The case continues.