The chef accused of the murder of Sally Anne Bowman attacked a Jehovah's Witness in a lift, a court has heard.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told an Old Bailey jury she was attacked by Dixie - who she knew as Mark McDonald - in Plumstead nearly 20 years ago.

Dixie denies murdering 18-year-old Sally Anne but admits he had sex with her corpse in September 2005.

Giving evidence, the woman, now in her 60s, said she had been to visit Dixie's then girlfriend, Sandra, who had recently lost her baby.

When she got no reply from Sandra's flat she left.

She told the court that as she was walking away she was stopped by Dixie who asked if she had just called at Sandra's flat.

He told her Sandra was in and invited the woman back to the flat.

The woman said when she got in the lift with Dixie she began to feel very vulnerable.

The court heard that as they reached the flat Dixie said Sandra must have left, and suggested the victim - who was still standing by the lift - could come in and wait.

She refused and pushed for the lift to go down.

But as the lift's doors were closing the court heard Dixie ran in.

He said: "You're going to have to help me."

The woman told the court: "He was fumbling with his trousers. I could see he was trying to get his penis out."

She added: "He said 'I need it, I need it'. I definitely thought he was going to rape me.

"I fought a lot. It was then that he hit me on the left hand side. It was my upper jaw and my left eye. It knocked me against the lift and I remember seeing stars.

"He was still fumbling with himself and saying, Please I need it'."

In an attempt to calm him she said: "No, not here", and he suggested going to Sandra's flat and then the stairwell.

After leaving the flat the victim tricked Dixie into letting her drive to her parents' house. When they got to the door she called for her parents and he ran off.

Her dad called police.

The court heard the woman sustained a hairline fracture in the attack.

Dixie pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting the victim at Woolwich Magistrate's Court and assaulting her in August 1988.

Dixie's defence told the Old Bailey he had hit the woman but only because she had told him the death of his girlfriend's baby was a sign from God.

She denied she had said that.

Dixie's trial is due to continue on Monday