A defence lawyer suggested to a Supreme Court jury that her client was attacked in a bar by Police officers and later beaten in cells after being arrested.

Victoria Pearman, representing Darren Michael Souza who is accused of glassing Police Inspector Nicholas Pedro, said her client had been at the centre of ?a rugby scrum? of Police officers during a melee in Front Street bar Blue Juice last May.

Souza, of Inland Lane, Pembroke, denies wounding Insp. Pedro with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon and violently resisting arrest.

But he has pleaded guilty to using offensive words on May 18 last year.

During testimony yesterday, P.c. Roger Saints backed up Insp. Pedro?s earlier testimony that he had been abused and then glassed by Souza during a night out.

Detective Sergeant Dean Martin, who was also with Insp. Pedro, then testified that Souza had abused each of the group as they trooped past him in single file into the outside bar.

The detective testified that Insp. Pedro stopped when Souza called him a ?c**t? and Souza then repeated the abuse when challenged.

And when Insp. Pedro told him he was a Police officer Souza said: ?You are a f**king c**t, what are you going to do ? hit me? Go on, go on, hit me.?

Det. Sgt. Martin said the group moved towards the bar and he had to stand in the way to stop Souza following.

He said he told Souza: ?Listen, we don?t want any trouble.? But he said Souza then abused him in a similar manner.

?At this point you could clearly see he was agitated. He was waiving his hands angrily.?

Det. Sgt. Martin said he told policeman Ben Beasley to get a bouncer but as Insp. Pedro followed the defendant stood in his way and raised his arm.

As Insp. Pedro pushed the arm away Souza hit him with the glass, said Det. Insp. Martin.

He said P.c. Saints then grabbed Souza but was pulled away by another man who then punched P.c. Saints.

Det. Sgt. Martin told prosecutor Shakira Dill that Souza had instigated everything and no one had wanted to hit Souza.

The witness was then grilled by Ms Pearman and admitted that patrons at the bar had tried to pull Police off during the commotion.

But he denied Insp. Pedro had become angry by Souza?s abuse and also denied there were numerous officers on top of Souza at one stage.

She then suggested Det. Sgt. Martin had verbally abused Souza back at the Police station after the arrest and had then attacked him, but he denied all the allegations.

Earlier in the trial she had introduced photos of Souza bearing facial injuries.

The case continues before Puisne Judge Charles Etta-Simmons today.