Hong Kong - A Hong Kong policeman was on trial after being accused of beating up his girlfriend to stop her from following him into the police force because he could not stand her cutting her hair short, a news report said Tuesday.

Marine police constable Lau Chun-tat, 21, was accused of breaking his girlfriend Ho Mei-shan's nose after she told him in May she had applied to join the force, the South China Morning Post reported.

Lau was so upset that she had cut her hair that he bought her a wig and threatened her with a knife in an effort to stop her from enlisting, according to testimony at his trial Monday in Hong Kong District Court.

He allegedly threatened to kill her unless she withdrew her application to join the force and beat her up again in September after they met at a funeral, the newspaper reported.

Lau denied six charges of criminal intimidation, common assault, inflicting grievous bodily harm and assault. His trial was continuing. dpa