A man caught burgling a Hamilton takeout smashed his way out of the restaurant with a crowbar before attacking a female Police officer who attempted to stop him escaping, it was alleged yesterday.

Opening the case against Brian Carlton Rogers, 45, Crown counsel Graveney Bannister told Supreme Court that P.c. Veronica Outerbridge suffered a sprained wrist in the incident in the early hours of January 6 last year.

Rogers, of North Terrace, Pembroke, denies breaking into Island Fried Chicken, in Court Street, with intent to commit a felony and wilfully damaging a cash register and glass door at the premises.

He has also pleaded not guilty to being found armed with a crowbar with intent to break the building and serious assault with intent on P.c. Outerbridge.

Mr. Bannister told the jury that Police were called to a reported break-in at the restaurant around 4 a.m. On arrival, officers went to the rear of the premises where they heard loud banging noises coming from inside. Prevented from going any further by an iron gate, the officers shouted “this is the Police, come out”, said Mr. Bannister.

The banging continued for a little while and then stopped, at which point the Police saw Rogers come out of the shop, the court heard. However, when the defendant saw the officers he went back inside, he alleged.

Mr. Bannister told the jury they would hear from witnesses who saw Rogers with a crowbar in his hand. When he turned off the interior lights in the store, he said, he was still visible by the light of an illuminated menu sign.

“What did the defendant do? He realised the Police was at the back of the building and he’d been seen by witnesses at the front. He raised the crowbar, smashed the glass of Island Fried Chicken, jumped out, and ran down the street,” said Mr. Bannister.

He went on to tell the jury that Rogers had ended up at a nearby church “chased by Police officers in hot pursuit behind him”.

He further alleged that P.c. Outerbridge was injured when the accused man, who was trying to climb a wall on the church property, kicked her twice. She suffered a sprained wrist and abrasions for which she received hospital treatment.

Rogers escaped and continued to the back of the church premises where he hid underneath a boat, according to Mr. Bannister.

“The Police came and arrested him. He was sweating profusely and he said ‘I was here all the time’ or something to that effect,” he told the court, adding that P.c. Outerbridge would not give evidence since she is no longer a Police officer.

The jury also heard from witness Gary Sinclair Augustus, a part-owner of Island Fried Chicken with his family.

He told how he got a call from his brother at 4.30 a.m. on the day in question and went to the restaurant at 5 a.m, where he saw four or five police officers outside waiting.

Mr. Augustus said he could see the glass was smashed on the front door. When he unlocked the door and went into the store with the Police he saw that the back door was damaged, along with the cash register.

The case continues.