Collins: I was not the aggressor

Former boxing world champion Steve Collins has claimed in evidence at his trial for assaulting a National Stadium bouncer that he acted totally in self-defence.

"I was not the aggressor. Everything I did was pure self-defence," he told prosecuting counsel, Mr Sean Gillane BL, during cross-examination.

Mr Collins demonstrated from the witness box the marital arts defence move he employed when he said the bouncer "thumped" him on the chest to block his entry through a stadium door.

He said: "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 (aged 44) of St Albans, Hertfordshire, England had pleaded not guilty to assaulting Albanian national, Mr Adrialik Vodo, when he was refused entry by him at the National Stadium on June 3, 2006.

Blanchardstown Hospital Consultant, Dr Joseph McKeever, told defence counsel, Mr Martin Dully BL, 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 particular 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 inside the stadium at the commentary position and Mr Vodo pushed him twice with "a belt on the chest" when he tried to re-enter.

Mr Collins said he tried in vain 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 present in the crowd of people that 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 that he knew from Mr Vodo's body language "through the experience of my career over 25 years that he was going to assault me".

He said that 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 prosecution counsel, Mr Sean Gillane BL, 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 former 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. 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 its deliberations tomorrow at the completion of his charge by Judge Desmond Hogan.