possessing offensive weapons, and causing grievous bodily harm to former boxing champ Frederick Thomas yesterday denied he started the fight that put the well-known businessman into a hospital emergency ward.

Shannon Tucker of Broken Hill Lane told Magistrates' Court it was Thomas who verbally confronted and then grabbed him by the arm.

"I said I don't have to listen to you, then I pulled my arm away. When I did that I swung around facing him,'' Tucker said, illustrating the sequence of events which resulted in him facing Mr. Thomas with fists partly raised.

Under questioning by defence counsel Richard Hector, Tucker told Magistrate Cheryl-Ann Mapp: "He must have thought I was going to hit him, so he smacked me in the face.'' Tucker testified that on the afternoon of October 24 1995, he and a group of friends were sitting on the steps of the Harrington Sound Workman's Club just enjoying a "regular afternoon,'' when Mr. Thomas drove up.

"He walked over and said he didn't mind us coming to the club but said we had to keep the area clean. He does this every day, checks up to make sure no one's acting up,'' said Tucker.

Tucker said at that point his group of friends decided to move away but because he was in the midst of working on a remote-controlled boat and parts were all over the steps, he was the last to leave. Tucker told the court Mr.

Thomas kept following, talking, and eventually grabbed him by the arm.

"It wasn't me fighting with him, it was him fighting with me,'' added Tucker, who said his mouth was bleeding after the first blow.

At one point Mr. Thomas fell to the ground and continued kicking. At some point friends started throwing things like bottles and garbage at him, said Tucker.

And he denied, under cross examination by Police Inspector Kendrick James, assaulting Mr. Thomas with any weapon or boat part.

Saleem Talbot, a witness to the incident, earlier testified he saw the verbal argument break into a fist fight, but could not say who threw the first punch.

"At one point a bottle or something struck Mr. Thomas, it may have been a piece of metal, in the head.'' He also characterised Tucker's actions as hostile.

Mr. Thomas testified that while asking people to pick up their garbage Tucker became abusive, spitting twice at him and punching him.

While he walked away Tucker jumped him from behind, threw a bottle and "clubbed him with a metal object.'' Mr. Thomas required stitches to close some of the lacerations suffered in the attack.

The trial continues today.