Clothes taken from two men accused of a vicious New Year?s Day assault on an off-duty prison officer were stained with blood, a Supreme Court jury heard yesterday.

Shannon O?Brien Tuzo, 30, has admitted knocking officer Craig Randall Clarke to the ground during a fight outside Club 40 on Front Street, in Hamilton, shortly after 3 a.m. on New Year?s Day last year, but he denies causing him grievous bodily harm with intent.

Raymond Winslow Burgess, 25, also denies the same charge.

Government analyst Christine Quigley told the Supreme Court yesterday items of clothing Police said they took from the two defendants six days after the attack were stained with blood.

And blood was also found on trousers taken from Shaki Eugene Crockwell, who previously pleaded guilty to doing grievous bodily harm to Mr. Clarke with intent.

Mrs. Quigley told trial judge Assistance Justice Archibald Warner that trousers and a shoe marked by Police as coming from Burgess were stained with blood.

Trousers taken from Tuzo?s house in North Shore Road, Pembroke, were also stained with blood, said Mrs. Quigley.

Samples from all the clothing, together with a blood sample from Mr. Clarke, were sent to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for comparison.

During the trial last week, the jury was told DNA tests matched the blood on Burgess?s shoe with Mr. Clarke, but the blood of the sample from Tuzo did not.

The trial has heard that the fight broke out after Troy (Yankee) Rawlings ? whose brother Steven (Pepe) Dill died of an asthma attack at the Prison Farm as a result of not receiving timely medical attention in December 2001 ? began arguing with Mr. Clarke.

Tuzo said he saw two men hitting Mr. Clarke and came up from behind him and knocked him over with a single roundhouse blow. Detective Constable Antoine Fox told the trial yesterday that Crockwell told him during interview that he ?volleyed him (Mr. Carke) pretty hard?.

When asked by Tuzo?s lawyer Victoria Pearman what he thought ?volleyed him pretty hard? meant, Det. Con Crockwell said ?kicked him?. Anthony Blackman and Oonagh Vaucrossan appear for the Crown, while Burgess is unrepresented.