Ex-girlfriend testifies about alleged abuse, threats by fashion writer accused of 2005 attack

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An ex-girlfriend of a fashion writer accused of sexually abusing another woman in 2005 told a jury Wednesday that her former lover once taped her to a chair and threatened her with a knife.

Manhattan prosecutors brought out details of Peter Braunstein's dysfunctional relationship with the witness, W magazine editor Jane Larkworthy, in an effort to illustrate a pattern of violent and abusive treatment of women that culminated in an alleged attack on a co-worker on Oct. 31, 2005.

Braunstein, 43, faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of sex abuse, kidnapping and other charges listed in a 13-count indictment that stemmed from the alleged attack on a former colleague at Fairchild Publications.

The victim, who also worked with Larkworthy at W magazine, testified last week that her attacker gained entry to her home by dressing as a firefighter and setting off smoke bombs in the stairwell next to her apartment.

Once he was inside, the woman said, he put a gun to her head and knocked her out with chloroform. She claims she awoke two hours later, tied naked to her bed. Her attacker groped and fondled her throughout the evening, the woman testified.

Prosecutors allege Braunstein was motivated by a desire for revenge against Larkworthy and the fashion industry for "turning their backs" on him. Lawyers for Braunstein claim the relationship had a "toxic" effect on him, which exacerbated a pre-existing mental illness and caused him to spiral out of control.

On the witness stand, Larkworthy faced the jury in an apparent effort to avoid looking at her ex-boyfriend, whom she met in August 2001 in the offices of Fairchild Publications. Braunstein, a reporter for Women's Wear Daily at the time, broke off a nine-year relationship to be with Larkworthy, whom he refers to as "Biohazard" in jou rnal entries he wrote while on the run before his arrest.

Braunstein stared intently at Larkworthy as she recalled her initial fondness for the journalist and aspiring playwright, whom she described as "incredibly charming," flirtatious and intriguing.

"I have been waiting for you all my life," Larkworthy wrote in a letter to Braunstein that she read aloud in Manhattan Supreme Court. "It gives me such joy to be in love with you."

Dressed in a black dress and white blazer and carrying a Chanel bag, the witness testified that she became a willing participant in Braunstein's sex games, which included bondage, role-playing and frequent photo shoots.

In one of the bedroom scenarios, which was similar to the accuser's account of the Halloween attack, Larkworthy testified that Braunstein would sneak up on her and pretend to knock her out with chloroform. In another scenario, he would play a mental patient and she would be a nurse who took advantage of him.

But it did not take long for Braunstein's jealous and controlling side to emerge, leading to frequent arguments, break-ups and reunions over two and a half years, Larkworthy said.

"I didn't have the guts to say, 'This isn't working,'" Larkworthy recalled, shaking her head.

In one instance, Larkworthy said Braunstein taped her to a chair and threatened her with a knife when she stated her desire to end the relationship.

"Why didn't you report the incident to police?" prosecutor Maxine Rosenthal asked the witness.

"I was afraid of him," Larkworthy said, choking back tears. "I thought I could resolve this and fix this in a calm manner."

After the incident, Braunstein tried a different approach, threatening to hurt himself and report it as an act of domestic abuse, Larkworthy testified.

The couple finally broke up in 2003, after Larkworthy went to police and reported that Braunstein was threatening to harm them both. That same day, Braunstein was taken to Bellevue Hospital for a mental health evaluation.

He was released the same day, and the situation only worsened, just as Braunstein promised her it would, Larkworthy said.

She immediately began receiving phone calls and e-mails from Braunstein seeking an apology for being a "bad girlfriend," which Larkworthy said she attempted to provide, with little success.

In early 2004, Larkworthy received a message from a reporter with the New York Post's gossip column, Page Six, asking her for comment on allegations that she had sent her ex-boyfriend to Bellevue.

After she did not return the call, a story appeared in the newspaper alleging that Larkworthy, dressed in black pumps and Victoria's Secret lingerie, chased Braunstein around her apartment and clawed at him before calling police.

Later, Larkworthy said, nude photos of her appeared on a Web site for swingers.

Larkworthy fought back tears as she described how her bosses received an e-mail from a reader expressing concern over finding the pictures on the Internet. Several co-workers received invitations to view her online profile, which, she alleged, Braunstein had set up using nude pictures he took of her.

The harassment finally ended, Larkworthy testified, when she got an order of protection against him in September 2005, one month before the attack on his former colleague.

Cross-examination of Larkworthy is scheduled to resume Thursday.

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