Lawyers in the trial of a man accused of seriously sexually assaulting a woman and threatening her with a knife during the attack spent most of yesterday in legal arguments.

The 34-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies seriously sexually assaulting the woman and causing her grievous bodily harm at a house in Sandys on March 12 last year.

Det. Con. Connie Saltus told the jury that on the night of the alleged attack, the victim had scratches on her neck and chest, and had a cut on her head which was thick with blood.

She said the woman was upset and was hugging herself when she saw her at the house.

The jury heard on Tuesday that the man punched the woman to floor of her kitchen after she told him it was none of his business if she went on holiday.

He then allegedly attacked her, choked her, held a knife at her throat, forced her to strip in the living room, then ordered up upstairs to a bedroom where he brutally sexually assaulted her.

The woman, who knew her alleged attacker, managed to calm him down after the assault and he left, but he was arrested later that night at a staff party at a hotel.

Det. Con. Saltus said the woman took her to her bedroom and showed her the kitchen knife said to have been used in the attack.

Vinette Graham-Allen appears for the Crown and Mark Pettingill appears for the defendant.

The trial before Assistant Justice Charles-Etta Simmons is expected to resume today.