A JURY at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has failed to reach a verdict in the trial of former world boxing champion Steve Collins on a charge of assaulting a bouncer at the National Stadium two years ago.
The jury had been deliberating for four hours before telling Judge Desmond Hogan that it was deadlocked following the six-day trial.
Mr Collins (44) had pleaded not guilty to assaulting 37-year-old Albanian national, Mr Adriatik Vodo, when he was refused entry at the stadium on June 3, 2006.
He claimed in evidence that he acted in self-defence when he struck Mr Vodo. "I was not the aggressor. Everything I did was pure self-defence," he said.
"I had no doubt in my mind he was going to assault me . . . I wanted to break free of his grip and get out of there.
Judge Hogan discharged the jury and said it happened that juries sometimes couldn't agree on a verdict.
He remanded Mr Collins on continuing bail for mention of the case again on January 13th next to ascertain if the DPP decides to press ahead with a new trial.
Judge Hogan agreed with prosecuting counsel, Mr Sean Gillane BL, and defence counsel, Mr Martin Dully BL, that a transcript of the trial would be made available to both sides in the event of a new trial.
Mr Vodo told Mr Gillane that the incident leading to the assault charge happened after he stopped Mr Collins trying to gain entrance to the stadium through an emergency fire door without any sign of a valid pass.
"He 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.' "
He said he asked Mr Collins to calm down but the former 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 Vodo said he didn't think the ex-boxer would punch him and that after he was struck he felt shock, his mouth filled with blood and his vision was white.
The ex-boxer challenged him to a private boxing match later that night, he said, after Mr Collins drove a green Audi car at speed to another fire-exit where he [Mr Vodo] was re-stationed after their initial altercation, and Mr Collins said to him: "You and me, we finish the game tonight."
Mr Vodo added: "I was afraid of him and I'm still afraid of him."
Dr Joseph McKeever, a consultant at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown was the fight doctor that evening and said he was twice confronted by Mr Vodo who he described as being "inappropriately belligerent for the role he was doing".