Collins: Case is money-making conspiracy
Mr Collins, 46, revealed under cross-examination he believes the criminal case against him is “all about money” and that Adriatik Vodo and his employer Seán Jordan are conspiring together.
Collins, in response to a question from Patrick McGrath BL, prosecuting, added he had given gardaí details of comments and recordings of phone conversations between people in the alleged conspiracy.
Collins of St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Adriatik Vodo on June 3, 2006, at the National Stadium, South Circular Road, Dublin. It was day two of the trial.
Collins told Mr McGrath he had no evidence against any other parties “as yet”. He agreed when Mr McGrath put evidence he gave at a previous trial to him about Mr Vodo appearing 20lb bigger on the night and his assertion that the doorman had been on steroids.
Collins told Mr McGrath he would “stand by” the evidence he gave that the 39-year-old’s appearance and “almost blind aggression” had given the impression of a “steroid head”.
Earlier, Collins told his counsel, Pat Purcell BL, that Mr Vodo had “man-handled” him while refusing him re-entry to the stadium to finish an RTÉ commentary on the Bernard Dunne/ Jim Rock bout. Collins said he had no formal accreditation to gain entry to the stadium, but he had been employed by RTÉ to commentate on numerous fights there.
Collins explained he had left the stadium to get some fresh air as it was “hot and sticky” inside, but returned two minutes later, using the same door.
He said he was “very relaxed and jolly” as he made his way back into the stadium but was then stopped by the doorman, Mr Vodo. “He stopped me and then put his hands on my chest and started to man-handle me and pushed me away,” Collins said. “I explained to him that I was working for RTÉ and other people around me were telling him who I was and to let me in,” he said.
He told Mr Purcell that the doorman appeared aggressive despite RTÉ co-commentator Mick Dowling explaining to Mr Vodo who he was.
“The bouncer (Mr Vodo) started holding me and pushing me and pushed me about a metre outside the door. I then realised he was not listening to me and he was getting out of hand,” Collins explained.
He said Gavin Blanchfield, head of security, arrived and told Mr Vodo to let him into the stadium.
He said Mr Vodo became more aggressive and said it did not suit Mr Vodo to let him back inside to fulfil his work commitments with RTÉ.
“He then thumped me in the chest with force and then I realised he lost it and I felt it was a dangerous situation as Mr Vodo seemed deaf to instruction and was looking at me with anger,” Collins said.
“He then went to grab my shirt and my initial reaction was to break away his grip with my left arm. I brought my left hand up with force to break him away and I made contact with his mouth,” he said.
He said he then drove to Blanchardstown to where his mother was living, changed his shirt as there was blood on it and returned to the stadium.
He drove his hired silver Volkswagen car to his “regular spot” near the exit gateway of the stadium and walked to the nearest entrance to regain entry to the premises.
“I was confronted by Mr Vodo again and I went ‘Oh no,’ and he proceeded to call his boss.”
Seán Jordan, Mr Vodo’s employer, arrived at the door and told Mr Vodo and Collins to “shake hands and forget about it”. Collins said he was fine about that. He denied under cross-examination that he had used bad language and acted like “a caged animal” after he was refused re-entry.
The trial continues.
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