THE new headmaster of a top boarding school in Bromsgrove has been cleared of domestic violence against his ex-wife by a judge in New Zealand.

A lawyer acting for the independent Bromsgrove School's head, Peter Clague, had accused the ex-partner of "embellishing" events.

According to the New Zealand Herald, lawyer Michael Lloyd said Mr Clague had been "persecuted for three years" and the judge's decision to drop the case was a "deserved result".

Mr Clague, aged 49, who took over at the 500-year-old Bromsgrove School last September, had denied the charge of "male assaults female", in which it was alleged by Jeanne Denham that he pushed her to the ground during a domestic dispute in September 2010 at their former home in Auckland, New Zealand.

Ms Denham, also known as Jeanne Jackman, who had launched a private prosecution against Mr Clague, claimed she suffered bruising of her tailbone in the incident, which she alleged happened only months after they were married.

The couple separated in 2012 and, soon after, Ms Denham made allegations of abuse but the police chose not to charge Mr Clague.

It was not until March last year that Ms Denham filed a private prosecution against him, just before he left to take up his appointment at the £31,000-a-year Bromsgrove School.

Ms Denham told the jury at Auckland District Court that, during an argument, Mr Clague grabbed her and shook her so hard she felt like she was "in a car crash", before pushing her on to some steps.

"I didn't know what was coming next. He just stood there with his fists clenched. It was like white rage, I've heard it called. He didn't look like Peter," she said.

But Michael Lloyd, defending, said Mr Clague had grabbed her only "in a pleading way" and then slipped on the polished floor, causing him to overbalance and push her on to the step.

The only reason Mr Clague had touched her was to calm her because she was "absolutely going off her rocker", he added.

In court, Mr Lloyd accused Ms Denham of "embellishing" events and seeking to “destroy” Mr Clague’s reputation and career.

But the case came to an unusual end on Friday, when Judge David McNaughton said he was taking the rare step in a jury trial of dismissing the charge, following an application from Mr Lloyd that there had been an abuse of the court’s process.

Judge McNaughton said no properly directed jury would be able to convict Mr Clague.

"No useful purpose would be served to continue prosecuting that charge for what was essentially a non-injury assault made five years ago, and complained about two years ago. He's suffered enough. I'm bringing this to an end now," said the judge, who intends to give his full ruling on the case today.

Outside court, a relieved Mr Clague - who was formerly executive principal of Kristin School, New Zealand's largest co-educational indepedent school, hugged his daughter and lawyer.

Despite the case hanging over him, Bromsgrove’s governing body has been steadfast in its support.

At the time Mr Clague took up his appointment last year, Stewart Towe, the chairman of governors, said: “Bromsgrove School Governors are wholly satisfied with the integrity of Peter Clague and followed due diligence in the appointment process.”