A Fayette County

jury began deliberations yesterday in the case of a former Brooks resident

accused of attacking his live-in girlfriend and putting a knife to her

throat.

Richard Todd

Bates faces charges of aggravated assault, two counts of simple battery

and one count each of cruelty to children and criminal trespassing.

The victim,

Heather Stokes, testified Tuesday morning that on June 10, 2001, Bates

told the couple's children "to say goodbye to your mom because this

is her last day."

Stokes also

testified that Bates told her, "I ought to go ahead and kill you

right now," while he held the knife to her throat during the attack.

Bates later

took the stand in his defense and gave a different version of the events.

He also denied the allegations of holding a knife to Stokes's throat and

threatening to kill her.

Bates claimed

he was the one who was attacked that morning, as Stokes struck him several

times with a broom stick. Bates said he eventually grabbed Stokes by the

arms to stop the attack and pushed her onto a bed.

"I was

the one in danger," Bates testified.

Bates said

at the time of the incident she was mad with him because he was leaving

her for cheating on him.

Stokes also

claimed that Bates purposefully urinated on her face in the couple's bedroom

during the attack. He testified that didn't occur, but he did accidentally

urinate on her when she burst into the bathroom to attack him.