A woman gave an emotional account of how she was subjected to years of sexual abuse from a communist cult leader.

The victim said she felt “psychologically stripped” by Aravindan Balakrishnan, of Latymer Road, Edmonton, who accused of seven counts of indecent assault, four counts of rape and three counts of actual bodily harm against two women during the 1970s.

The 75-year-old was also charged with child cruelty and false imprisonment of his daughter who was born to a woman in the commune, known as the collective, Southwark Crown Court heard.

The court heard how the woman was made to write “extremely explicit” diary of her sexual life and write pornography after she joined the cult in the 1970s.

Giving emotionally charged evidence to the court, the woman claimed when Balakrishnan's wife was in hospital in a diabetic coma, he started to kiss her.

She was then forced into giving oral sex when she lived with him and others in a south London commune.

She said: “The only thing that saved my sanity was going outside because I was meeting with normal people.

"I know he is there (in the dock) and I want him to hear it because I loathe him so much. You must know that - how much I despise him."

The woman said members of the group “were like animals” when allegedly being called to his room to perform sexual acts.

Balakrishnan, known as Comrade Bala, continually shook his head when allegation were made by the woman.

She added that over time, the cult became to doubt one another.

She said: “We all hated each other. We had to cook in pairs in case we poisoned the food.

"We were just dehumanised, psychologically stripped. He gave you the sense he had absolute power over your body and your mind. Your deepest ego was being shaped by him."

The woman told the court how Comrade Bala had got into the minds of all members and even doubted herself when she bought a pair of Levi jeans for work.

The trial continues.