Dominatrix Sarah Smith sent car salesman's bosses photos of him tied to cross surrounded by sex toys

A dominatrix accused of harassing a client by sending photos of him tied to a cross surrounded by sex toys has told jurors she did it to protect the world from his wild fantasies. Sarah Smith, 43, is accused of harassing car salesman Jonathan White after he called off their relationship.

The pair met through a website and Smith, who denies stalking involving serious alarm, harassment or distress, would travel to White's home to engage in sadomasochistic sessions in a playroom he had at the address. Salisbury Crown Court heard White partook in submissive sex that involved Smith tying him to a cross and caning him.

Their dalliance came to an end when White decided to call things off in November 2013. But Smith, a carer from Bristol by profession, flew into a rage and smashed his black Nissan 370 sports car, causing £6,800 worth of damage.

She scratched the word "GIMP" into the side panels of his car, slashing the tyres and broke a window before bombarding White with texts and calls, forcing White to move 150 miles away to Peterborough to cut the escort out of his life.

Jurors were told the pair rekindled their relationship in 2014 but things took a turn for the worse when Smith allegedly found out White worked as a male prostitute. It was then that Smith – who thought the pair were in love and were to be married – started to stuff photos of White – including one of him tied to a cross, surrounded by sex toys and whips and wearing a female corset – into envelopes and sending them to his work employers at Radical Sportscars in Peterborough.

"I was traumatised by the fact this man who wanted to marry me was having homosexual affairs with men and selling his services with other men in public places," she told the court.

"I was angry and contacted his ex-wife, and his brother and niece and nephew. At first I thought he needed help and in the Facebook messages I said that as his family, they needed to help him before he hurt somebody." The case continues.