A prisoner accused of a vicious assault on a fellow inmate had already been convicted of a string of violent crimes, a Supreme Court jury heard yesterday.

Kamel Trott's criminal record dates back to when he was aged 17 in 1994, when he received a conditional discharge for throwing a bottle of Heineken at a reserve constable and was fined $250 for wilful damage to a Nissan car.

Since then, Trott — who with Cooper twins murder convict Kenneth Burgess is on trial accused of beating another Cooper twins murder convict Dennis Robinson to a pulp in his cell — has been jailed three times.

The first, in 1996, was a three-year sentence for attempting grievous bodily harm and unlawful wounding, and possessing a knife in a public place.

In 1999, Trott was jailed for a total of four years for grievous bodily harm and grievous bodily harm with intent and, in 2006, he was sentenced to three years for unlawful wounding with intent.

Director of Public Prosecutions Rory Field read out the convictions, which also included offensive and threatening behaviour and twice violently resisting Police, during cross-examination of Trott as the defence brought its case to a conclusion.

"You are used to hitting people with your fists, aren't you?" Mr. Field asked Trott, who said he wouldn't agree with the suggestion.

Mr. Field brought up Trott's criminal past after the defendant had made an allegation of his own against Robinson.

Trott said that in 2005 he had walked into a room and discovered Robinson in a homosexual act with an inmate.

Trott said he spread the word around the prison that Robinson was a "woman" and said that might be why Robinson accused him of carrying out the attack with Burgess on June 6 last year.

"I told everybody I don't agree with it. Each to his own, but I just told people what I saw," said Trott.

Mr. Field said: "You have simply made this up to throw muck at him. This will be printed in the media and people will read. You are using this opportunity to dirty the name of Mr. Robinson and to give yourself some ridiculous excuse.

"If Mr. Robinson had a beef with you about that he wouldn't have waited two years would he?"

Trott replied: "I can't speak to Mr. Robinson. He saw his opportunity."

Giving evidence, Trott described the allegations against him as "totally false" and also rejected Mr. Field's suggestion that he was a runaround for Burgess, who was the big man in prison.

Earlier yesterday, the trial heard from David Barber, a doctor who examined Burgess and Trott after the alleged incident.

Dr. Barber said although he found no evidence of injuries which may have come from a fight, he had not examined Trott's legs and feet, because the defendant had not allowed him to.

The trial continues and is expected to conclude by the end of this week.