A POLICE officer from Bury has been cleared of assaulting his former partner.

Mark Lees (42), of Wash Lane, stood trial before Bury magistrates after it was alleged he had grabbed Heather Hogan by the throat and threatened to kill her.

Miss Logan (39) told the court that the incident happened following an argument with Lees about his son Stephen.

The couple had shared a house in Grasmere Drive, Bury, with Stephen, who suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder.

Following the dispute, Miss Logan said they decided that they should split up and sell the house. The next day Lees left the family home, but the court heard he returned a day later to reclaim Stephen's bike.

Miss Logan told the court: "He picked up the phone to ring my other son Aidan to tell him to bring back Stephen's bike. I said he had no right to speak to my kids and he turned round and put his fingers in my face. He said he would kill me and throw me through the window.

"He put his hand round my throat and pushed me onto the bed. I felt like my eyes were bulging out and my face puffing up."

Miss Logan said she struggled, but the defendant pushed harder until he let go, leaving her scared.

But Lees, who pleaded not guilty to the assault, said that he had simply acted in self- defence as he was the one who was attacked by Miss Logan. He denied he had spoken to her in the way she alleged.

He said: "She lunged at me, and called me, and dug her nails into my neck and started twisting. My reaction was to get her off because she was causing me pain. I pushed forward with my right arm and it released her grip. She landed on the bed but I had let go.

"I couldn't believe she had attacked me. I didn't know where it had come from. Afterwards we both sat on the bed for a while not speaking, then she picked up the phone and dialled the police."

Magistrates accepted Lees' "not guilty" plea.