TRIAL: Christopher Holder denies all allegations THE jury is out in the trial of a man accused of attacking his partner with a vacuum cleaner and holding a meat cleaver to her throat. Christopher Holder denies a string of offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm after his ex made allegations he twice knocked her out, once with a vacuum cleaner and on another occasion by pushing her into a fireplace. She also says he held a meat cleaver to her throat. Yesterday the jury went out after closing speeches and the judge’s summing. On Tuesday the 36-year-old defendant gave evidence from the witness box after the complainant gave hers via her mobile phone. The jury was told of his 48 convictions for 104 offences including 34 thefts or ‘dishonesty’ offences, eight of taking a vehicle without consent, four assaults and one conviction for making threats with an offensive weapon.