The jury in the trial of a man who modelled himself on The Joker have been shown a photograph of a pillow adorned with the movie villain’s picture, as well as the face of his girlfriend whom he is accused of attempting to kill.

Anthony Yewman, 45, of Romford, Essex, is on trial at Southampton Crown Court accused of the attempted murder of Jenny Dalton and alternative charges of attempted GBH and intentional strangulation.

The pillow features an image of Heath Ledger’s The Joker with the slogan “Why so serious?” with the face of Ms Dalton (blurred out by police), who Yewman referred to as “his Harley Quinn”, attached to the top.

Matthew Farmer, prosecuting, said the pair had a “difficult” on-off relationship for about two years with the defendant becoming “increasingly obsessed” by Ms Dalton.

He told the jury: “He referred to himself as The Joker, that is The Joker from Batman, he identified as The Joker, and he calls her his Harley Quinn.

“Some of you may know, there is The Joker, the arch-nemesis of Batman and there is his sometime girlfriend Harley Quinn.”

Mr Farmer also described how Yewman had “stalked” Ms Dalton after their relationship had broken down including by “camping out” in her garden for a number of days, refusing to leave until she called the police and he was arrested.

The jury has now been shown a photograph of the shelter that Yewman had created at her home in Fordingbridge, Hampshire.

A photograph was also shown of chalk graffiti by the defendant on her wall which states: “Met my soulmate when met you”.

Mr Farmer added: “He became more and more obsessed about her. She describes significant controlling behaviour by him and his stalking was such that she couldn’t get away from him.

“He didn’t allow her to go out to the shops alone without him being present.”

Mr Farmer said that when Ms Dalton rejected Yewman, he was angered and attempted to strangle her twice at her home.

Mr Farmer described how Ms Dalton passed out after Yewman was strangling her but came to and saw him attempting to cut his own throat with a craft knife before she told him to stop.

The prosecutor added: “She, helpless, vulnerable, and scared after the first attack, describes him lifting her onto the bed, placing both his hands around her neck, and trying with all his might to squeeze the life out of her.”

He said that Yewman only stopped when Ms Dalton’s 21-year-old daughter Juliette banged on the door causing him to “release his grip on her throat”.

Mr Farmer said that Yewman told police in an interview that he had not meant to hurt Ms Dalton but had acted in self-defence and had only “retaliated after she grabbed him”.

The prosecutor said that Yewman added: “I love her more than anything in the world.”

Yewman, who was in the dock with his hair parted in a curtain style and wearing a blue jumper, denies the charges, and the trial continues.