FORMER BOXING world champion Steve Collins has claimed in evidence at his trial for assaulting a National Stadium security man that he acted in self-defence.
"I was not the aggressor. Everything I did was pure self-defence," he told Seán Gillane, prosecuting, during cross-examination.
Mr Collins demonstrated from the witness box the martial arts defence move he employed when he said the bouncer "thumped" him on the chest to block his entry through a stadium door.
Mr Collins had been returning to his position as RTÉ commentator on a fight taking place at the stadium, having left the event for a break. "I had no doubt in my mind he was going to assault me so I felt I had no choice but to defend myself. I did not want to be the aggressor. I felt threatened. I wanted to break free of his grip and get out of there."
Mr Collins (44), St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, had pleaded not guilty to assaulting Albanian national Adrialik Vodo when he was refused entry by him to the National Stadium, Dublin, on June 3rd, 2006.
Blanchardstown hospital consultant Dr Joseph McKeever told Martin Dully, defending, that he remembered noting to a friend that Mr Vodo was "inappropriately belligerent for the role he was doing".
Dr McKeever, who was the fight doctor that evening, described how the bouncer clenched his fist and stared at him "menacingly" as he refused him entry. He said he had never been at the receiving end of such hostility before or since, adding that Mr Vodo's face "is not one I would forget because he was very aggressive".
Mr Collins told Mr Dully that he was blocked by Mr Vodo on his return through the door after a short break from his job as an RTÉ fight commentator.
He said he had passed in and out through the same door several times and had not been given a stamp on his hand and had not been stopped by anyone.
There was nobody on duty when he exited for a short break due to the heat in the stadium at the commentary position. When he tried to re-enter, Mr Vodo pushed him twice with "a belt on the chest".
Mr Collins said he tried to point out to Mr Vodo that his jacket was inside the door at the commentary position and that the "head of security", who was also in the crowd of people who had gathered, could confirm he worked for RTÉ.
"He just totally ignored people who had gathered around telling him, 'that's Steve Collins and he's working for RTÉ,' and he became more and more aggressive and menacing."
Mr Collins told Mr Dully he knew from Mr Vodo's body language "through the experience of my career over 25 years that he was going to assault me". When Mr Vodo "made a lunge" at him, he struck out in self-defence, receiving a laceration at the base of his index finger.
Mr Collins denied the only real injury he received was "a bruised ego" when Mr Gillane put it to him in cross-examination that he was upset because the bouncer did not know who he was. Mr Gillane read the statement of a previous witness in the trial outlining how Mr Collins complained that "the Russian hadn't a clue who I was" when he was in an ambulance getting treatment for his hand wound.
Mr Collins retorted that he was upset because the incident ruined his night and the last two years for him and his family. "I was not the aggressor," he said. "Everything I did was pure self-defence."
The closing stages of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court have been reached and the jury of 10 men and two women is expected to begin deliberations today.