A senior policeman did not step in and attempt to arrest armed thugs embroiled in the Wellington Oval football violence because he feared for his life, a court heard.

Chief Insp. Anthony Mouchette was off duty when trouble flared and was an assistant referee when a day of Friendship Trophy finals descended into ugly mayhem.

After describing in detail terrifying scenes of men brandishing machetes, knives and wooden boards, Chief Insp. Mouchette was asked by Senior Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney why he did not apprehend any of the ringleaders.

The Police officer ? giving evidence yesterday in the Wellington Oval attempted murder trial ? said he was ?amazed? at the chaos unfolding before his eyes.

He added: ?There was no way, no way, that I was going to get involved in that during that stage. That situation was a life-threatening situation.?

Earlier, Chief Insp. Mouchette told the jury how he saw a man fall off a six-foot wall and land on his back, before being attacked by about three men.

Within seconds, he added, another three men arrived and attacked the first group, as waves of gang violence swept St. George?s cricket stadium.

The policeman said he recognised one of the men in the second gang, armed with a blade, as Ki-Roy Kinta Butterfield ? one of three men accused of attempting to murder Tarik Foster.

Chief Insp. Mouchette said pockets of fighting broke out in the area, with machetes being drawn ?left, right and centre? as terrified women and children ran for cover.

He then said he saw another man under attack by about three people. One of the three, the jury was told, was bending over and making stabbing motions.

The officer told how he then saw John Glasgow, armed with a machete, and another of the accused, Jahcai Morris, armed with a knife, along with another man, and they were all in a ?state of rage?.

Chief Insp. Mouchette went to the clubhouse and saw Mr. Foster in a white shirt that appeared bloodstained. Medics were treating five cut marks on his upper body, the court heard, including one on the throat area and two on his left side.

?He appeared to be badly injured and was in severe pain,? added the Police officer. ?He definitely needed medical attention.?

Butterfield, 27, of Cherry Hill Park, Paget; Morris, 24, of Sylvan Dell, Paget, and Tahir Nesta Bascome, 22, of Dunscombe Road, Warwick, all deny attempting to murder Tarik Foster at the Friendship Trophy soccer final at St. George?s stadium on April 4, 2004.

The trio also pleaded not guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent. Earlier yesterday the court heard from another Police witness, P.c. Edward Smith. He was on duty when he said up to 30 young men got involved in violence. P.c. Smith also said he saw Butterfield carrying a knife and said the defendant jabbed at people with it. He said he saw Mr. Foster being pursued by four men, including Glasgow and Morris, both from the Ord Road area. He said Glasgow had a silver machete, while Morris carried a large knife with a jagged edge. The other two men, who P.c. Smith could not identify, were carrying a rusty coloured machete and a baseball bat.

Describing ?four waves? of attack, he said Glasgow hit Mr. Foster in the stomach with the machete, while two others stood above ?swinging down and chopping his body?.

As Mr. Foster tried to stagger away, the policeman said Morris approached from behind and swung at him across the top of his back. Then, he said, Mr. Foster was attacked by a man who made a stabbing motion into his stomach, as Morris came from the back and made a stabbing motion in the lower back area.

The victim then fell to the ground and a crowd of people gathered to help. P.c. Smith said Glasgow then forced his way though and kicked Foster in the back, before pulling out a machete, shouting: ?F*** you. You?re dead? and swinging it at a woman?s head. Under cross-examination from Charles Richardson, for Morris, the witness was shown a DVD video taken by a spectator at the match. Mr. Richardson said that P.c. Smith had misidentified his client in the melee. He told the court the witness had given two different descriptions of Morris ? one with a t-shirt and another with a vest.

Mr. Richardson also said his client had been armed when a group chased Mr. Foster towards the clubhouse.

Another witness, Everest Trott, finished giving evidence yesterday morning.

The trial heard on Monday how Mr. Trott ran onto the pitch with a piece of wood to protect Mr. Foster, hitting Butterfield?s brother in the process.

Elizabeth Christopher, for Butterfield, claimed that Mr. Trott had hit Butterfield?s brother before Mr. Foster ? nicknamed ?Psycho? ? was on the ground and when there were no weapons on the pitch. Mr.Trott said that was not the case. Miss Christopher also told the court how Police started a prosecution against Mr. Trott in connection with the Wellington Oval fracas, but the case was later dropped.

Ed Bailey, for Bascome, outlined Mr. Trott?s criminal record, which the court heard included seven convictions for violence related incidents. One was for assaulting a policeman; another for possessing an offensive weapon.

Butterfield has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted wounding with intent to cause GBH, possessing an offensive weapon and being armed in public to cause terror.

Morris and Bascome have both denied possessing an offensive weapon and being armed in public to cause terror.

The trial continues.