A woman who suffers massive allergic reactions has denied in court she had exaggerated her condition to "get back" at her former husband.

Heather Brown was giving evidence at Dundee Sheriff Court where her estranged husband, Colin Slane, is accused of assaulting her by placing shampoo on her door handle, knowing she was allergic to it and would suffer a reaction to the substance if she touched it.

The incident is alleged to have taken place at Ms Brown's home in Byron Street, Dundee, on 22 January last year.

Slane is further accused of assaulting her by spitting in her face and damaging her car by jumping on the bonnet and stamping on the roof in the same street in August, 1998.

Slane, of Clepington Road, Dundee, denies both charges.

Ms Brown, 33, admitted her marriage break-up with Slane, 28, had been acrimonious and said it was a relief when the union ended, but denied she hated her former husband.

'Contemplated stabbing'

She also denied claims she had assaulted him on a previous occasion or that she had said she had contemplated stabbing him. When asked by defence advocate, Anika Jethwa, if she had exaggerated her reaction to the shampoo to try to get back at Slane, she replied: "Exaggerate - do you know how many times I have collapsed?

"To exaggerate for what benefit? As far as I was concerned my marriage was over, I was getting on with my life. Why would I try and get him into any bother?"

The court also heard from Ms Brown's son, Alan, 13, who said he and his mother had been leaving the house to go to school when he noticed a gel-like liquid on the front door handle and told her about it.

He said: "There was some kind of gel or something on the door handle," and added: "It was clear, it was clear enough to still see the door handle."

Alan said his mother gave him a tissue to wipe the substance off his hand, and told him that she felt a bit wheezy. He added: "She could have gone into shock, but I don't think it was that strong because my hand wasn't that close to her for that period of time."

Close friend

Also giving evidence was Angela Fairweather, 30, of Bayview Road, Invergowrie, who described herself as a close friend of Ms Brown.

She said she had called at Ms Brown's house on the morning of the incident allegedly involving the shampoo, and added: "She was very, very shaky, her breathing was quite laboured.

"She seemed like somebody having an asthma attack, her breathing was really quite bad. There was a rash on her neck."

Ms Fairweather also told the court she had been at Ms Brown's home in August, 1998, and had seen Slane spit in his former wife's face when he visited the house and she refused to allow him in.

She said Slane then went out to Ms Brown's car and jumped onto the roof. "It was kind of like he was dancing on the car, but without stomping hard on it. He wasn't lifting his feet any great height to stamp down on the car," she said.

The trial will now move on to defence evidence.