An abusive boyfriend allegedly beat up his on-off partner after she barged into him as he was preparing to take drugs.
Jason Davenport pushed girlfriend Jolene Bruce into an empty bath during an earlier row over money and then hit her in the face when she knocked into him, a jury have been told.
She was too scared to go to a doctor until the next day and tried to tell police nothing had happened when they came to investigate.
Davenport, aged 22, denies the attack and says single mother Miss Bruce was beaten up by two strangers when a drug deal went wrong.
He claims she invented her account of domestic abuse to improve her chances of being rehoused by the council.
Davenport, of Wykes Road, Exeter, denies causing actual bodily harm.
Miss Janice Eagles, prosecuting, said there was a background of domestic violence which had forced Miss Bruce to leave his home and move into bed and breakfast accommodation with her teenaged son.
This did not work out and she returned to Davenport's home in August last year rather than live on the streets.
Miss Eagles said:"She found Davenport's temper was even worse than before and one evening there was an argument between them which started over money.
"He went to the bathroom and she followed. There was some shouting and he grabbed her by the neck and left wrist and pushed her into the bathtub
"She suffered a lump on her head and bruised wrist and arm. She says he was still in a temper and went into the bedroom where he started smashing some of her make up bottles.
"She climbed out of the bath and saw what he had done. She went in. He was in a chair and she accidentally knocked into him and he was in the process of preparing some drugs.
"It is acknowledged he was a heroin user at the time. Her bumping into him caused another violent outburst and he pinched her hard on the jaw, causing swelling and bruising and damaging a tooth."
Miss Eagles said Miss Bruce did not seek medical attention until the next day when she had a pre-booked doctor's appointment for a routine visit. Davenport insisted on going with her but she told the doctor she had been assaulted.
He advised her to go to hospital but she did not and when she failed to attend a follow up appointment the next morning the doctor called the police.
When two officers came to check her welfare she told them she could not talk and nodded towards and upstairs room where Davenport was in bed. She only made a complaint after he was arrested.
He told officers Miss Bruce had been attacked by two users as she was trying to sell them heroin but had agreed to lie to her doctor so as to improve her chances of being re-housed.
