A former resident of a children's home who claims she was subjected to cruelty by the woman in charge has told a court she was hit so hard on the head with a sandal she thought her "brains were going to fall out".
The woman, who is now 53, spent all of her childhood in care including a period in Bawnmore Children's Home in south Belfast.
At the time the complainant was a resident in the mid-1970s, the home was run by Ruth Colvin.
In a trial which started earlier this week at Belfast Crown Court, Colvin - who is 75 and formerly of Glendhu Manor but now residing in a nursing home in the east of the city - has been charged with six counts of child cruelty between September 1974 and December 1976.
The wheelchair-bound pensioner, who was described as 'matron', 'house mother' or 'auntie', has denied all the charges levelled against her.
In her second day in the witness box, the former resident claimed she was beaten by Colvin with a wooden Scholl sandal and with a stick.
She also claimed that Colvin pulled her hair and told her things like 'you won't be a blue-eyed dolly'.
The Belfast woman told the jury of nine men and three women that what Colvin said to her as a child still haunts her.
"It's not even the hitting, it's what she said to me. I've travelled around the world, I've been to different places and her voice haunted me."
Under cross-examination by David McDowell, representing Colvin, the woman was asked about an alleged assault in a laundry room.
She replied: "I got hit on the head with a Scholl sandal. I got hit that hard my nose bled and I thought my brains were going to fall out."
The woman denied suggestions that she was making things up, and confirmed she had a criminal conviction linked to chequebook fraud dating back to 1996.
When it was pointed out to her that there were inconsistencies between various statements and allegations she made, she admitted she was "a wee bit sketchy" when it came to specific dates but insisted the assaults did occur.
At hearing.
