Horse trainer Christopher Bieg on trial accused of serious domestic violence offences

He’s a well-known Adelaide horse trainer – but Christopher Beig is accused of kicking, hitting, strangling and stomping on his former partner.

A well-known horse trainer is standing trial accused of strangling, kicking, punching and stomping on a former partner he initially met via an online messaging application to pay for sex.

Christopher Bieg, 37, of Camden Park first met the woman in mid-2019 before the pair became “exclusive” in about August of the same year.

Opening the trial in the District Court on Monday, prosecutor Raffaele Piccolo said the pair met via the Kik messaging application and arranged to meet so he could pay her for sex.

He said the pair continued meeting for unpaid “cuddles” before agreeing they were in an “exclusive” relationship.

Mr Piccolo said the relationship developed into one involving both emotional and physical abuse.

Horse trainer Christopher Bieg outside the District Court, where he is on trial charged with serious domestic violence offences. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

“The relationship … can best be characterised by coercion, control and … allegations of assault,” he said.

He said that included being hit, pushed, strangled, kicked and stomped on.

Giving evidence, the woman told the jury Mr Bieg imposed a set of rules on their relationship after an incident.

“Chris had said to me that if I wanted to continue the relationship with him that there would be some ‘rules’ that would be put in place for that to happen,” she said.

“I needed to move in with him completely and only sleep at his house, I needed to ask my male housemate … to move out.

“He was to have access to my phone at all times, I was not allowed to delete anything from my phone, ever.

“I needed to tell him everyone I spoke to in the day, I could not drink alcohol if I was not in his presence.”

The woman obliged and described only being allowed to sleep on top of the bed covers initially because he told her she was “a dirty disgusting whore” who “needed to earn the right” to sleep with him under the covers.

Christopher Bieg outside the District Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

She also described being shoved into walls, pushed onto the ground before being lifted up her hair and grabbed by the throat while being held against a wall.

The woman said that, on one occasion, driving home after celebrating her birthday, Mr Bieg slammed her head into the car’s passenger door and then the dashboard, breaking her sunglasses.

She said Mr Bieg had told her he was “a famous horse trainer” early in their relationship and had showed her his web page because she had not believed him. He also invited her to his stables at Morphettville.

Mr Bieg is charged with 12 offences, including nine aggravated counts of assault, two counts of unlawful choking, suffocating or strangling another and one aggravated count of causing harm with intent.

The trial, before Judge Ian Press and a jury of seven men and five women, continues.