A woman told a jury she was shaken awake by a knife-wielding burglar who was sitting on her bed.

According to Perri Trott, the masked man told her: "I've come to harm you, I've got a knife," before cutting her on the thumb as she tried to defend herself.

Ms Trott, 54, yesterday told the jury she recognised the burglar to be Gerald Hall, 54, who is her husband's cousin.

Giving evidence yesterday in Hall's Supreme Court trial on a charge of aggravated burglary, she said the incident left her feeling "terrified for my life".

Ms Trott described how she was living alone at her St. David's home at the time of the incident in November 2008.

"I was sleeping in my bed in my bedroom about 4 a.m. and I felt somebody shake my chest. They shook me like they was shaking me awake and I heard someone call my name, 'Perri'," she said.

"I didn't know who it was at that time and I woke up with a start because I was quite frightened and I could see someone sitting on my bed."

Ms Trott said her television and lamp were on and she could see the intruder had a cloth wrapped around his head which exposed his nose and eyes.

She added that she recognised the voice as belonging to Hall, who she'd spoken to in the past and given food and money. She also recognised his short stature and habit of stumbling over his words, and called out his name when she realised who it was.

"He told me 'don't shout, talk softly'.

"He says 'I've come to harm you, I have got a knife.' And I put my hand up because I assumed he had a knife. An object was coming towards me and I pushed him away. I pushed my hand because I thought the person was going to stab me up, and I came in contact with the knife which had a serrated edge," she said.

Ms Trott told the jury she could smell alcohol on Hall's breath, and something metallic she could not identify. She said he repeatedly threatened to harm her and began "rocking" and "whining" as he told her he needed $3,000 but also said: "I know I shouldn't be doing this, I know I'm doing wrong."

According to her, Hall also threatened to cut her telephone line and told her he thought he should kill himself.

"I say 'no, you shouldn't do that. When you're feeling like that you should pray.' So he says 'pray for me then.' I was very scared and I just wanted him to leave, so I prayed for him."

Eventually, she said, he told her to come with him, so she got out of bed and he linked his arm through hers. He led her out of her bedroom, through a hallway and to a glass sliding door that he exited through.

After he left, Ms Trott said she noticed her laundry room door was open, so she shut it before locking herself in the bathroom and calling the Police. When they arrived, she showed them her kitchen window, which was open with the screen cut out.

She estimated the incident lasted "probably half an hour but it felt like longer".

Police forensics officer Michelle Perinchief told the trial she was unable to get any fingerprints from the window frame because it was corroded and dirty.

She noticed Ms Trott "seemed to be a bit shaken up".

Defence lawyer Rick Woolridge repeatedly accused Ms Trott of making the entire incident up, and cutting both herself and her window screen to make it look like she'd been the victim of a crime.

He alleged this was a ploy to get her estranged husband to move back in with her which he did, shortly after the incident. Mr. Woolridge also pointed to alleged inconsistencies between the accounts Ms Trott gave to the Police and the account she gave to the jury.

She strenuously denied concocting the story.

"I don't fabricate things. I'm too old at this stage of my life. I've no reason to lie about anything," she insisted. "I've no reason to lie to this court."

She added of her husband: "I didn't make up any plot or ploy. I was the one who asked him to leave."

Hall, of Sandys, denies committing an aggravated burglary and the case continues.