THE wife of a salsa dance teacher accused of raping one of his pupils told a court she saw the woman try to attack him.

Sinead Lantelli said she was at home on the afternoon that her husband Joseph Lantelli is alleged to have raped the woman.

Mrs Lantelli, 29, told the court the woman had called round to collect some money from her then boyfriend, 42-year-old Lantelli, and was only there a short while.

She told jurors she saw the woman lash out with both hands at Lantelli after hearing the pair arguing downstairs.

The court has heard that Lantelli 'abused his position of trust' by preying on her and striking up a sexual relationship with her.

It is alleged that when she told him she did not want to sleep with him any more, after discovering he was seeing another woman, he grabbed her during a private lesson at Capone's nightclub in Dursley and raped her.

He is also accused of raping her at his then home in Dursley.

But Mrs Lantelli told the court: "I saw the woman and Joe in the hallway by the front door, and the woman was trying to open it.

"The woman turned around because the door was locked and she could not open it, she was very hysterical, agitated and shaking and making a noise like a cry or a wail.

"Her and Joe were facing each other in the hallway and the woman went to strike Joe with both hands.

"Joe stopped her from doing this by holding her wrists."

Mrs Lantelli said he let the woman go before unlocking the door and letting her out.

Under cross-examination by prosecutor Virginia Cornwall, Mrs Lantelli said she had met the woman on several previous occasions, but she had been 'unfriendly' towards her.

She added that she suspected the woman had been the author of an anonymous letter she received in the summer of 2002.

Mrs Lantelli said: "The letter said 'stay away from that Joseph Lantelli, he has given me a sexually transmitted disease. You should stay away from him before you get hurt.'"

Earlier in the trial Detective Constable Gavin Webb said when interviewed Lantelli made no comment, but in a prepared statement said he had never had a sexual relationship with the woman and denied all allegations of rape.

He said the woman had visited his home on one occasion, but his mother and now wife Sinead were both present at the time.

Lantelli, of Keates Avenue, Podsmead, Gloucester, denies two counts of raping the woman between 2002 and 2003.

The trial at Winchester Crown Court continues.