Gwent Police: Officer accused of kicking wife down stairs

The arguments continued over the next few months, with Mr Orphan “often leaving”, the court heard.

On 7 April 2020, Mr Orphan was at work and the couple were exchanging messages about what Ms Burley would have for dinner.

Asked if she was angry about a lack of replies from Mr Orphan, Ms Burley said she was “just anxious everything was OK”.

The jury was shown messages in which Ms Burley called her husband names and suggested he could not be bothered to speak to her.

“You were getting cross that he had not been in touch,” said Mr King. “You were very, very cross with him by midnight.”

Ms Burley said: “I was upset… we were in a really poor state in our relationship. I’d not long had our child, and I think I just wanted some help and support at home.”

Ms Burley denied “bubbling over with anger” when Mr Orphan arrived home shortly after 01:00.

Mr King put it to her that she was “swiping at the back of [Mr Orphan’s] legs” as they went upstairs, causing her to fall.

She responded: “That never happened. I was kicked backwards down that set of stairs, so hard I actually missed the stairs and landed flat on my back.”

The court heard Ms Burley lay on the sofa, while Mr Orphan slept upstairs, but about 03:45 he sent her a heart emoji, and she apologised for “having a go and being annoying”.

Mr Orphan replied: “I am sorry for what happened.”

Mr King pointed out the messages between them from the next day became friendly.

Ms Burley said: “I think I was just scared of what he was capable of doing next… It was quite common we would argue and then the next day go back to being fine.”

Mr King said Mr Orphan suggested his wife get checked at hospital, and drove her there.

Ms Burley said she was “in shock” and did not initially realise the extent of her injuries.

She added Mr Orphan would only let her attend “if I didn’t tell them what had actually happened”.

“He told me that if I didn’t tell them I’d fallen, he wouldn’t bring my kids back,” she said.

Mr King said: “You made no report or complaint of assault in April and that was because you knew you were trying to trip him up.”

By May 2020, the couple had split up.

In a statement read in court, Sgt Paul Broad of Maindee Police Station in Newport said Ms Burley told him she had fractured a bone in her back and would have to wear a brace.

He added she messaged him in May 2020 asking for advice on how to make a complaint against Mr Orphan.

Ieuan Bennett, prosecuting, showed the jury nine images taken by Ms Burley, of injuries including a “linear mark to the arm”, a “small abrasion just below the ear” and a “cut or laceration near the ankle”.

“I’m still in a lot of pain,” Ms Burley told the court.

“I can’t run around after my children, go into a soft play centre or kick a ball with them.”

The trial continues.