The paper’s lawyers said they would show the claim was true and that he had beaten actor Heard, causing her to fear for her life, during violent rages brought on by alcohol or drugs, sometimes when he had falsely accused her of infidelity.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, I have never abused Ms Heard, or, indeed, any other woman, in my life,” Depp said in a witness statement in which he characterised his ex-wife as a calculating, emotionally dishonest narcissist.

In a written statement outlining Depp’s case, his lawyer David Sherborne said Heard had first aired the abuse allegations in May 2016, saying it was hard to think of “more extreme or violent” claims of abuse than she would make during the trial.

“The Claimant was not violent towards Ms Heard, it was she who was violent to him.”.

In papers submitted to the court, Depp’s team also said Heard had begun an affair with Tesla chief executive Elon Musk in early 2015 shortly after they had got married and had engaged in at least one extramarital relationship with her co-stars, with actor James Franco named.

Appearing in the witness box, Depp said he was the victim of attacks from his ex-wife and had himself sought to avoid confrontation.

The court was shown mobile phone footage taken by Heard which showed an angry Depp slamming kitchen cupboard doors and pouring himself a “mega” glass of wine

He said “the monster” Heard referred to was when he yelled back at her in arguments

Depp is also being sued by a crew member from one of his films in 2018 who accused him of punching him twice in the ribs, the court heard

Wass recounted a statement from actor Ellen Barkin, who said Depp had thrown a bottle of wine across a hotel room on one occasion and had got jealous and angry

In his witness statement, Depp said Heard had thrown a vodka bottle at him, severing his finger off, and that his ex-wife or one of her friends had defecated in their bed