Matthew Baron (pictured) has been cleared of assaulting his fiancee

A Cambridge PhD student has been cleared of assaulting his fiancee after he broke off their engagement when she had an affair in the Galapagos Islands.

Matthew Baron, 26, was accused of punching Sophia Cooke in the face and arm as well as smashing up her car radio using her iPhone.

A court heard he claimed the postgraduate zoology student had a vendetta to 'ruin him' personally and professionally and found Miss Cooke's version of events to be 'inconsistent and not credible'.

The trial at Huntingdon Law Courts in Cambridgeshire centred around an argument after Miss Cooke told him she cheated on him on the islands, just off the coast of Ecuador.

Baron, a palaeontologist of Christ's College, Cambridge, was alleged to have smashed up her car radio before breaking her smartphone into pieces.

He also stood accused of punching his postgraduate zoology student fiancee to the lip and arm and threatening her, as well as spitting at her face and mouth.

Corinne Saunders-Silk, prosecuting, said the incident took place at Fen Drayton Lakes - an RSPB nature reserve - on February 12 this year.

She told the court how Baron and his girlfriend became engaged in May last year but in December, she had visited the islands for part of her studies at the University of Cambridge.

She told Baron she had been unfaithful, which sparked an argument and caused Baron to call off the wedding and end the relationship, the court heard.

Miss Cooke, who grew up in Bristol, said she had 'ruined his life' because 'she cheated on him', reports the Telegraph.

Describing the alleged assault, she said: 'I remember thinking I was going to die.'

Miss Cooke told the court: 'He punched me on the side of the nose. I fell onto my bottom.

'I put my hands up expecting to find blood and was surprised there was none. I could taste his spit in my mouth.'

Sophia Cooke accused her fiance of hitting her and leaving her with a split lip and swollen nose

Mr Baron, originally from Hartlepool and who lectures at the university, told the court he was 'devastated' after she broke the news to him following her six-week trip to the islands.

He said: 'I cried. I was heartbroken. I had really trusted her and loved her and I had just had this bombshell.

He told the court: 'She said, "If you tell anyone that I have cheated I will ruin you. I will tell everyone you have been a violent monster"', reports the Telegraph.

Giving evidence, Miss Cooke claimed she was left with a split lip, a swollen nose, a sore back and bruises to her arms and groin after the 'attack' by Baron - in which she said she feared for her life.

She claimed she was forced to climb up a tree to get away from Baron and, at one stage, even contemplated swimming across the lake to escape him.

However, she denied claims by Emma Hayfield, defending, that she fabricated the story to 'ruin' Baron after he said he would be calling off the wedding.

Taking to the witness stand, Baron denied causing any injuries to his fiancee but accepted lashing out in a moment of shock and damaging her car radio.

Miss Cooke told her fiance that she had been unfaithful on the Galapagos Islands

He claimed his fiancée was a 'fantasist' and made up the entire scenario to 'ruin' him both professionally and personally - adding: 'It would save her telling her family that the wedding was off because she was having an affair.'

Baron fought back tears as he told magistrates how the accusations had affected his life and his future career.

He said: 'My position at Cambridge is almost untenable. People look at me like I'm sub-human.

'Nine times out of 10 when a girl says a guy beat her up, it happened, but in this case that is just not what happened.

'She's actively tried to make it not capable for me complete my PhD. She has ran with this, and tried to turn everyone else against me. My friends and my family are the only thing that's got me through.

'This prolonged assault was entirely fictitious.'

During the trial, various character references in support of Baron were also handed to magistrates, and his college tutor Dr Helena Brown even took to the witness stand.

Dr Brown told how Baron was an 'exemplary member of the college', who was reliable, trustworthy, and extremely well liked.

She added: 'He is an outstanding academic scholar. He is also a popular and an inspiring teacher to our undergraduate students in Cambridge.

'During Matthew's time as captain of the college football club, he has made significant efforts to raise awareness of gender awareness and equal opportunities for female students.

He was yesterday cleared of assault but was convicted of criminal damage after smashing her car radio.

Following the one-day trial, magistrates handed Baron a conditional discharge of 12 months. He was also ordered to pay £620 in court costs, which included £300 in compensation. Miss Cooke will not face any criminal charges.