Bouncer says Collins challenged him to fight
An Albanian bouncer has claimed that former world boxing champion Steve Collins challenged him to a private boxing match the night he allegedly punched him in the face.
Mr Adrialik Voda alleges the ex-boxer drove a green Audi car at speed to the National Boxing Stadium fire-exit where he was re-stationed after their initial altercation and said: "You and me, we finish the game tonight."
Mr Collins (aged 42) of St Albans, Hertfordshire, England has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Mr Voda when he was refused entry at the National Boxing Stadium, on June 3, 2006.
Mr Voda stood in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court witness box and demonstrated to prosecution counsel, Mr Sean Gillane BL, how he held the door with his right hand and blocked Mr Collins's entrance with his left hand after he established the accused had no valid pass or stamp on his hand.
He told Mr Gillane that the former super middleweight champion boxer pushed him and began weaving his body left and right before he struck him on the face, injuring two of his teeth.
Mr Voda said: "He (Mr Collins) looked me in the eyes and said 'In two seconds if you don't move, I break your head and I put your teeth on the floor'."
Mr Voda said he asked Mr Collins to calm down and suggested if he wasn't happy, he could radio another security person to sort the matter.
He told Mr Gillane he didn't think the accused would punch him and that after he was struck he felt shock, his mouth filled with blood and his vision was white.
"I looked him (Mr Collins) in the eyes and I said: 'Thank you very much, well done'."
Mr Gillane showed the jury CCTV footage of the incident where a man in a white shirt, identified by the injured party as Mr Collins, was seen to go lunge forward on his knee after an apparent verbal exchange with Mr Voda.
Defence counsel Mr Martin Dully BL put it to Mr Voda that his client had passed through the entrance twice before the altercation without a pass or a stamp.
Mr Dully suggested Mr Voda pushed his client and that another witness would state how he overheard Mr Collins say repeatedly: "Don't push me."
Mr Voda denied he pushed Mr Collins and said he couldn't remember the accused explaining to him that he was an RTE commentator at the boxing stadium that evening.
He denied he fabricated Mr Collins's invitation to a private fight when Mr Dully put it to him that his client was merely driving to the parking space he had vacated to go to Blanchardstown Hospital for treatment for the fist he injured when "he hit you in self-defence".
Mr Dully told Mr Voda that the accused would give evidence that he acted in self-defence after being assaulted and suggested that Mr Voda was "showing who was in charge" that night.
Mr Voda told Mr Dully he believed the reason the accused apologised to him that night was because he called his boss after the private fight invitation and Mr Collins knew he could get into trouble with a witness around.
Mr Voda said through an interpreter: "I was afraid of him and I'm still afraid of him."
The trial continues before Judge Desmond Hogan and a jury of 10 men and two women.
