A court has heard some former boyfriends of a slain Dunedin teenager had been violent - in the trial of a Dunedin doctor accused of slashing her throat

32-year-old Venod Skantha has pleaded not guilty to murdering 16-year-old Amber-Rose Rush - who was found dead in her bed last year.

Her brother - Jayden Rush - was the first to take the stand this morning.

He's told the court he met some of her boyfriends - and one had struck her.

Rush's mother - Lisa-Ann Mills - had also told police they'd had issues with a boyfriend harassing her on social media - and one appearing outside their home with a hammer one night.