Matthew Jaeger, 24, sits with his defense attorney, Pedro Irigonegaray, in Douglas County District Court in this Sept. 2009 file photo.

As a trial got under way Wednesday morning for a former Kansas University student accused of beating and kidnapping his ex-girlfriend, lawyers painted starkly different pictures about the events of Oct. 9, 2007.

Prosecutors said Matthew Jaeger, 24, became enraged after his ex-girlfriend ignored at least 26 calls and text messages. They say he then found her with another man inside her apartment in the 1200 block of George Court.

Assistant Attorney General Nola Wright told jurors that Jaeger, trained in jiu-jitsu, put the woman in a choke hold until she lost consciousness. When the woman awoke, Wright said, she had massive injuries to her vagina and pelvic region.

“The emergency room doctor will testify and other medical people who saw her injuries were stunned,” Wright told jurors in Douglas County District Court. “This woman’s vagina was unrecognizable. She was in extreme pain.”

Jaeger is charged with aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, aggravated kidnapping and making a criminal threat.

Witnesses who live in the Northwinds Apartments complex, who heard commotion that evening, testified they heard glass breaking, followed by a woman screaming.

Katelyn Hall and her boyfriend, Troy Gower, said they saw two men pulling a woman down the stairs by her arms and her hair before forcing her into a car and speeding off.

But defense attorneys said Jaeger wanted to help the woman, who already was injured when Jaeger arrived at the apartment.

Jaeger’s lawyer Pedro Irigonegaray told jurors that Jaeger and the woman were still involved in a relationship when the incident happened.

Irigonegaray said his client became concerned after receiving a text message from his girlfriend that said, “they’re trying to get me drunk” and then couldn’t reach her.

Irigonegaray said that Jaeger and his friend drove to the woman’s apartment to check on her and that Jaeger broke in only after hearing sounds coming from inside.

“The intent was to go help, not to commit a crime,” Irigonegaray said.

He also told the jury that Jaeger found the woman already injured and was simply taking her to get help.

“She said, ‘I’m hurt … I fell and hurt myself on the railing,'” Irigonegaray said. “She’s rushing around in a dark room to get up and get dressed, and she got hurt.”

Irigonegaray also said that the woman’s story has drastically changed over time.

“When all of the evidence is introduced, you may not have all the answers,” Irigonegaray said. “I fear we will never know all the answers, but you will have reasonable doubt because her story makes no sense. The timeline doesn’t permit it, and the forensic evidence simply does not support it.”

Lawrence police officer Robert Neff testified Wednesday afternoon about encountering the woman and Jaeger sitting in the back seat of his car after police pulled the car over near Sixth and Florida streets. Jaeger’s friend was driving the vehicle.

Neff said the woman and Jaeger were sitting very still in the back seat as police tried to talk to them. The officer said he had later interviewed the woman. At that time, she told him why she tried to not draw attention to herself in the car even though she was injured.

“She was worried. She was scared of Mr. Jaeger,” Neff said.

But defense attorney Michael Saken said the woman did not mention to officers that she had a warrant out for her arrest and that marijuana and drug paraphernalia were at her apartment.

The trial will resume at 9 a.m. Thursday.

The attorney general’s office is prosecuting the case instead of Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson because Branson, when he was a defense attorney, represented Jaeger in a DUI case.