Shannon O?Brien Tuzo admitted flooring a prison officer with a single punch during a fracas outside the Club 40 nightclub in Hamilton last year.

But Tuzo, 30, denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent to officer Craig Randall Clarke outside the Front Street club in the early hours on January 1.

A Supreme Court trial on Monday heard Tuzo told Police during an interview he came out of the Club shortly after 3 a.m. on New Year?s Day and found Troy (Yankee) Rawlings arguing with Mr. Clarke because Mr. Rawlings? brother Steven (Pepe) Dill had died in custody at Westgate Correctional Facility.

He said he saw Shaki Eugene Crockwell ? who has already pleaded guilty to causing Mr. Clarke grievous bodily harm ? and another man punching the prison officer several times.

Tuzo said he came up from behind and hit Mr. Clarke once with a roundhouse punch and he ?went down to the ground like I knocked him out?.

When asked by a Police officer during the interview if he agreed the dispute happened because Mr. Rawlings was unhappy his brother died in custody, Tuzo said: ?Yeah, more or less. Yankee (Mr. Rawlings) was upset because he feels prison could have led to his death.?

An inquest earlier this year found Mr. Dill died in custody of an asthma attack due to a lack of timely medical attention.

Tuzo also told Police he had no idea why he punched Mr. Clarke, but said the officer had done nothing to him and said he felt he should send a letter of apology to him.

Jurors on Friday were shown closed circuit television footage of the attack.

The trial heard last week that Mr. Clarke suffered serious head injuries, a broken nose, and now only has 30 percent vision in one eye.

Tuzo, of North Shore Road, is represented by Victoria Pearman.

Raymond Winslow Burgess, 25, who also denies causing grievous bodily harm, is representing himself.

Anthony Blackman represents the Crown and the trial judge is Assistant Justice Archibald Warner.