LOS ANGELES — At Phil Spector's murder trial Monday, a retired New York City police detective recounted an alleged incident in which the music producer repeatedly referred to women using a vulgar expression and said, "They all deserve a bullet in their heads."

The witness, Vincent Tannazzo, said Spector made the comments as he was ejected from a Christmas party in the mid-1990s hosted by Joan Rivers. Tannazzo, who was working as a private security guard for the comedian, said Spector was armed with a handgun at the time.

He said that when Spector was forced to leave the same holiday function the following year, he repeated the profane tirade against women and threatened to kill one particular woman.

"I ought to put a bullet in her f------ head right now," Tannazzo quoted Spector.

Spector, 67, is accused of shooting actress Lana Clarkson in the mouth on Feb. 3, 2003, at his mansion. Prosecutors have said he killed her after she rebuffed his romantic advances, but Spector's defense claims she shot herself.

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Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler had ruled Tannazzo's account inadmissible before the trial began, saying the incidents were too removed in time from the shooting, and the alleged comments were so offensive as to bias jurors against the defendant.

He agreed to reconsider the issue after a request from prosecutors. After listening to Tannazzo's account during a hearing Monday morning, he said he was changing his ruling. Fidler said he found the threats Tannazzo related about shooting women in the head relevant to Clarkson's shooting. (VIDEO)

Paraphrasing Spector's alleged comments to the retired detective, the judge said, "This is the way I think I'll solve the problem. I'll shoot them in the head."

He added, "In this case, you have a woman who was shot in the head. That's extremely probative."

A lawyer for Phil Spector, Roger Rosen

The defense argued strongly against allowing his testimony. Defense attorney Roger Rosen said the comments were directed at a specific person, not all women, and that the remarks would prejudice jurors against Spector.

"What it really is is character assassination. That's really all it is," said Rosen.

Tannazzo attributed a raft of expletives to Spector, including one that the judge referred to as "that word." Fidler said he would not pronounce the particular expletive in court for fear of offending his wife, who was watching televised coverage.

Tannazzo, however, repeated the word more than a dozen times as he testified.

"Every other word was that word," he explained to jurors.

The 17-year veteran of the NYPD said he considered himself a fan of Spector when he first encountered him entering the party at Rivers' Manhattan apartment in 1993 or 1994.

"Matter of fact, I have a few of his CDs," he said with a smile.

He said that feeling changed shortly after the party began. Dorothy Melvin, Rivers' manager and Spector's then-girlfriend, phoned Tannazzo in the building lobby with an urgent request.

"She said, 'Vinnie, get up here. Phil Spector just pulled out a gun,'" he recalled.

He said he helped Melvin escort Spector, who was spewing expletives, into an elevator and frisked him.

"I felt the butt, the hammer, and, carrying a gun for almost 40 years, I knew what it felt like. And I knew it was a gun," he said.

Phil Spector, in court Monday wearing a new wig, is accused of shooting Lana Clarkson at his home.

Tannazzo, who was armed with his own handgun, said he became concerned when Spector moved his hand toward his waistband.

"I told Phil Spector if he pulls out that gun, I'll blow his f----- brains out," he said.

Tannazzo testified that Spector tried to assure him he meant no harm and then offered an explanation for carrying a weapon.