A Government backbencher on trial for allegedly assaulting a journalist must wait another month before a decision will be made on his case.

PLP MP Glenn Blakeney is accused of unlawfully assaulting ZBM journalist Gary Moreno during an incident at Cup Match in 2005 — a charge he denies.

Appearing in Magistrates' Court yesterday, the MP said the entire situation was exaggerated because of the "political hat" he wears.

Mr. Moreno claims that Blakeney, of Stovell Bay Road, Pembroke, pushed him twice after the two became embroiled in a dispute over broadcasting rights at St. George's Cricket Club on July 28, 2005.

Giving evidence in his own defence yesterday, however, Blakeney said the situation was exaggerated to embarrass him and in reaction to his company winning exclusive rights to broadcast the two-day cricket match.

"To be quite honest, I was shocked when I was charged," he said. "I personally felt that because I wear a political hat, the whole situation was incredibly exaggerated to embarrass myself and my company because ZBM had lost in their efforts for rights for Cup Match."

In December last year, the trial heard that tempers flared on the first day of the 2005 Cup Match as Mr. Moreno interviewed former Deputy Governor Nick Carter in the clubhouse.

Mr. Moreno said that Blakeney, MP for Devonshire North Central and president of Hott 107.5 radio station, interrupted the interview on the grounds that Hott had exclusive rights to the event.

Blakeney said yesterday, however, that he knew Mr. Moreno was on the grounds interviewing spectators and the president of the St. George's Cricket Club Neil Paynter but that he had only approached the journalist when he saw him interviewing Mr. Carter.

He said he calmly walked over to tell him he did not have the right to be on the property.

The Deputy Governor walked away and, according to Blakeney, Mr. Moreno became aggressive and said that Mr. Paynter had given him permission.

"He was coming towards me and I stepped back and said 'As a Trinidadian, how can you disrespect me on my biggest national holiday as a Bermudian,'" Blakeney said.

"He kept coming towards me saying 'what does my nationality have to do with it?' I put my hand up again because he was being very aggressive. I said 'come on man' and he said 'don't touch me', but I hadn't touched him at all."

The court also heard from three other defence witnesses yesterday — Mr. Paynter, Elsworth Christopher, who was present in the clubhouse at the time of the alleged assault and Blakeney's employee Isadore Lee.

Both Ms Lee and Mr. Christopher said they had not seen Blakeney push Mr. Moreno and Mr. Paynter denied that he had invited Mr. Moreno to stay in the clubhouse.

In her defence summation, lawyer Victoria Pearman said the witnesses she "confirmed the allegation against the defendant is a total concoction".

Crown counsel Graveney Bannister said, however: "This is a case where the defendant overzealously protected his rights."

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo adjourned court until June 22 for the judgment.