A YORK jury is today deciding if a man caused his former wife's new partner to have a stroke.

Andrew Parsons collapsed six days after Leslie John Price, 41, allegedly held him round the throat at the York home of Jeanette Price.

The prosecution at York Crown Court claim that Mr Parsons suffered a stroke caused by a struggle between the two men, that has left him weakened on his left side.

Leslie Price, now of Plantation Row, High Green, Hednesford, Staffordshire, claims he was acting in self-defence.

He denies causing grievous bodily harm on Easter Monday 2001.

During the trial, the jury has heard evidence that Price arrived unannounced at the Rowan Avenue home of his ex-wife Jeanette and Mr Parsons on April 16.

At the front door, Mr Parsons told Price to contact his ex-wife through solicitors.

They also heard that Price allegedly was not prepared to take "no" for an answer.

Mr Parsons gave evidence that Price attacked him from behind and held an arm across his throat. The alleged victim claimed he was gasping for breath.

The jury heard he had told police on April 16, 2001, that Price swung at him and missed before the pair had a struggle.

Price gave evidence that Mr Parsons became aggressive and swung a punch at him and all he did afterwards was try to defend himself.

The jury heard medical evidence that the most probable cause of Mr Parson's stroke was trauma through the constriction of a blood artery to the brain and that the delay between the alleged attack and Mr Parson's collapse was not significant.

Defence barrister Jeffrey Lewis told the jury that the medical evidence was not 100 per cent certain.

Both he and Judge Paul Hoffman, honorary recorder of York, described what happened to Mr Parsons as a "tragedy".

Updated: 11:33 Wednesday, April 24, 2002