FORMER BOXING world champion Steve Collins was acquitted yesterday of assaulting a bouncer who refused to let him into the National Stadium.
The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court took an hour and 35 minutes to return a unanimous verdict finding Mr Collins not guilty of assault causing harm to Adriatik Vodo at the National Stadium, South Circular Road, on June 3rd, 2006.
Judge Tony Hunt thanked the jurors for their care and attention and told them the service they provided was an invaluable one.
Earlier in the four-day trial Mr Collins told his counsel, Patrick Purcell, that Mr Vodo, an Albanian national, had “manhandled” him while refusing him re-entry to the stadium to finish RTÉ commentary on the Bernard Dunne versus Jim Rock boxing match.
Mr Collins said he was acting in self-defence. He had no formal accreditation to gain entry to the stadium but he had been employed by RTÉ to commentate on numerous fights at the venue. He had left the stadium to get some fresh air as it was “hot and sticky” inside but returned two minutes later to come back in using the same door.
He said he was “very relaxed and jolly” as he made his way back into the stadium but was then stopped by the doorman, Mr Vodo. “He stopped me and then put his hands on my chest and started to manhandle me and pushed me away,” Mr Collins said.
“I explained to him that I was working for RTÉ and other people around me were telling him who I was and to let me in.”
He told Mr Purcell that the doorman appeared aggressive despite RTÉ co-commentator Mick Dowell explaining who he was.
“The bouncer started holding me and pushing me and pushed me about a metre outside the door.
“I then realised he was not listening to me and he was getting out of hand,” Mr Collins explained. He said Gavin Blanchfield, head of security, arrived and told Mr Vodo to let him into the stadium.
He said Mr Vodo became more aggressive. “He then thumped me in the chest with force and then I realised he lost it and I felt it was a dangerous situation as Mr Vodo seemed deaf to instruction and was looking at me with anger,” Mr Collins said.
“He then went to grab my shirt and my initial reaction was to break away his grip with my left arm. I brought my left hand up with force to break him away from me and I made contact with his mouth,” he said.
He said he then drove to Blanchardstown to where his mother was living, changed his shirt as there was blood on it, and returned to the stadium.
He drove his hired silver Volkswagen car to his “regular spot” near the exit gateway of the stadium and walked to the nearest entrance to regain entry.
“I was confronted by Mr Vodo again and I went ‘Oh no’, and he proceeded to call his boss.”
Sean Jordan, Mr Vodo’s employer, arrived at the door and told Mr Vodo and Mr Collins to “shake hands and forget about it”, which Mr Collins said he was fine about.
He denied under cross-examination by prosecution counsel Patrick McGrath that he had used bad language and acted like “a caged animal” after he was refused re-entry.
He also denied that his “pride was injured”, but admitted he “wasn’t happy” that he wasn’t allowed back into the stadium.
Mr Vodo was recalled to the witness box on the third day of the trial after Mr Collins alleged under cross-examination that the doorman and his former employer were in a money-making conspiracy.
Mr Vodo told Mr McGrath that he never sought any money from Mr Collins and denied agreeing to change his evidence.
Mr Vodo said he was “surprised” to hear there had been an attempt by his former security boss, Mr Jordan, to “settle the case out of court”.
“I don’t know anything about money and I did not know anything about Mr Jordan trying to resolve things,” said Mr Vodo.
Mr Jordan, head of security at the National Stadium, was also recalled as a witness and denied being in a conspiracy with Mr Vodo to blackmail Mr Collins, but admitted he did attempt to “settle expenses without having to go to court”.
COLLINS STATEMENT 'A HAPPY MAN'
STEVE COLLINS said the result has brought him “great relief as the past four years have been very stressful”.
Speaking outside the court after the verdict, he said: “My character had been assassinated and a picture painted of me was untrue. I am extremely relieved for my mother, my wife and my children.
“I haven’t slept for the past four nights and I’ve been quite emotional.”
Mr Collins said he has “absolutely no regrets” over defending himself against Adriatik Vodo, and said his reaction was “instant and one of self-defence and a very, very limited one at that . . . I have a very disciplined reaction of self-defence and everyone has the right to defend themselves.”
He would not comment on the allegations he made during the trial that Mr Vodo and Sean Jordan were in a conspiracy to blackmail him for money. “I want to park that for the time being,” he said.
Mr Collins thanked his legal team, Patrick Purcell and solicitor Liam Keane and Colm O’Doherty, for “taking the case and accepting my version of events and standing by me”.
He also thanked the jury whom he said “listened with great interest and even until the last minute were still asking the judge questions”.
“I am glad it is all over and I am glad the jury came to their decision which I know is the right decision.
“I am a happy man and the verdict has reassured my belief in the legal system.”