The attack on RUC Constable Greg Taylor was "sickening, violent, disgusting", one of his alleged attackers told detectives.
So vicious was the beating that Mr Daniel Stewart (33) Dervock, Co Antrim, has "nightmares" about it, Belfast Crown Court heard yesterday. "I feel disgusted, ashamed at letting my family down. I was stupid for getting involved. I've nightmares," he told police.
Mr Stewart, who along with seven other defendants from Ballymoney, Co Antrim, denies murdering the RUC man, was questioned by the RUC in Belfast after his arrest following the killing on June 1st last year.
Yesterday detectives read sections from his alleged taped confessions to the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Robert Carswell. In them Mr Stewart initially tells his solicitor and police that he saw a row in Church Street and the next thing he knew he was involved in it, although but for the drink "I wouldn't have gone near it".
Mr Stewart, who said he would not name names because he was scared, claimed someone kicked or punched him and in turn he "threw a kick".
He also initially said he then realised the victim was Constable Taylor, although he later denied knowing it was the policeman. Subsequently, he again admitted that he did know. Mr Stewart said on realising it was Constable Taylor he decided "to get out of the road of it - I didn't want anything to do with it".
The defendant said he had known the police officer since he was 12 or 13, and that Constable Taylor was "never one for bossing you about - he would give you a chance - he was a decent man". He also claimed he only hit him once on the side of the legs. "It was just like an ordinary wee kick - I wasn't trying to hurt him or put him down." He denied he persisted in his attack while the RUC man lay defenceless.
Mr Stewart said "the brawl snowballed as it moved from Kelly's bar to the Candy Shop". He also allegedly told detectives that afterwards he realised that the police would possibly come and arrest him and at one stage thought of giving himself up. "I felt sick the next morning. I was going to go and give myself in."
The trial continues.