A Splash nightclub bouncer admitted to Police that he kicked a "ranting and raving" customer in the face, a court heard.

However, Jason Harrell, 34, claimed he acted in self defence after Jody Feldman swore at him, grabbed him by the testicles and made to lunge at him.

"It was, you know, an instantaneous thing. I turned around, saw his position and it was just a reaction," he told detectives after his arrest.

Harrell is on trial at Magistrates' Court accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Mr. Feldman in the early hours of December 2, 2006 at the now defunct nightclub in Bermudiana Road, Hamilton.

Mr. Feldman, 28, has told the court he was attacked by a white bouncer with brown hair who pushed him over, causing him to hit his head on the ground and lose consciousness. He has also alleged that he was kicked in the head, but did not see the culprit.

He suffered a cut to the back of his head that needed stitches, a chipped front tooth, and cuts and swelling to his face.

The complainant said he'd consumed around seven drinks on the night in question, but denied allegations from Harrell's lawyer Llewellyn Peniston that he sparked the altercation through drunken belligerence.

Harrell, a Regiment soldier of Cut Road, St. George's, was working part time as a bouncer at Splash at the time of the incident.

A tape recording of the Police interview after his arrest on December 2 was played to Magistrates' Court on Friday.

In it, he told detectives that Mr. Feldman became verbally abusive when asked to show a stamp on his hand in order to re-enter the club after leaving to make a phone call. This resulted in the bouncer telling him he was not allowed to come back in.

"So he stayed outside and he carried on ranting and raving. A couple of times he got up in my face even though I told him to back off and get out of my face," Harrell told Police. He pushed Mr. Feldman to the ground after he swore at him and moved his arms upwards in what he believed was a motion of attack. The customer got up and went across the street, then came back, which led to a second scuffle.

"We ended up both on the ground, well I was standing crouched over and he was on the ground. He had his hand around my neck. I had my hands around his neck. As I let go, I went to get off, he grabbed me by the testicles and then he pulled on my leg," said Harrell.

"As I turned around I believe that he is about to lunge at me as he had flipped himself over. He had his hands off the ground, it was, you know, in a forward motion. At that point I kicked him. I then went across the road to the XL sort of area."

Describing the kick, he told the Police: "I believe it must have been on the chin. I didn't actually see my foot connect with him."

Harrell refuted suggestions that he acted out of anger toward the customer, and denied that he'd intended to cause serious injury.

"It's a pure reaction. It's pure reactionary," he insisted.

Asked if he believed Mr. Feldman was an imposing figure, Harrell replied: "No, but working on that job you can't tell, you know. People raise their hands, I've had knives pulled on me and (been) held at knifepoint by people that I didn't think were imposing figures."

The defendant said another male - identified by other witnesses as Mr. Feldman's flatmate Alex Smith - crossed the road and confronted him over what had happened. The pair got embroiled in a fight that had to be broken up by the Police and resulted in them both being arrested.

Asked about his experience and relevant training for work as a nightclub doorman, Harrell said he had certification in security management from a four-week course in the UK. He added that he had worked in that field for 13 years, and had 14 years of experience in the army.

The case continues.