An off-duty Policeman told a jury yesterday of how he saw two men in a tense stand-off over a dropped knife during an afternoon of violence at Wellington Oval last year.

Det. Con. Garic Swainson gave evidence yesterday in the trial of three men accused of attempted murder of Tariq Foster at the football stadium last year.

Ki-Roy Kinta Butterfield, 27, of Cherry Hill Park, Paget, Jahcai Morris, 24, Sylvan Dell, Paget, and Tahir Nesta Bascome, 22, of Dunscombe Road, Warwick, have all all denied attempted murder on April 5, 2004.

Earlier in his testimony, Det. Con. Swainson told the jury of the men attacking the victim four times at various locations around the St. George's ground using a knife, a machete, a baseball bat and punches and kicks.

Yesterday, Det. Con. Swainson said he saw Morris slashing the victim's back with a multi-bladed knife.

“He stepped back and then he slashed at him a second time on his back and then the knife fell from his hand to the ground,” he said.

Mr. Foster's friend Kumar Smith then saw the knife.

“Kumar was standing the same distance away as Jahcai, they both looked at each other and looked at the knife.

“They both hesitated for a moment and then both went to grab the knife. Kumar was the one who got it first and when he picked it up Jahcai backed away from him.”

He said Mr. Smith then went inside the club, pursued by Mr. Foster's attackers who were carrying machetes.

He said the gang were only inside the club approximately 30 seconds then they left through the same door and crossed the field while Det. Con. Swainson phoned in a running commentary to colleagues at St. George's Police station about the violent nightmare being played out in front of him.

“I was talking to the duty officer and was giving him as much information as I could. I was giving him a description of the person involved who I recognised and what type of weapons there were using.”

Det. Con. Swainson said he went into to check Mr. Foster's injuries as he lay in a side room to the clubhouse.

“I did a cursory check,” he said. “He was bleeding from his head and neck area and his back area and his arm.”

A medical team arrived and then Det. Con. Swainson headed out of the club to Wellington Slip Road where he looked out to see further action on Mullet Bay Road.

“I could clearly see, by Reid's Restaurant, Kumar being chased by two brown-skinned men with white T-shirts.”

He said Mr. Smith disappeared into his mother's house while his pursuers then got into a car.

Det. Con. Swainson made a further check on Mr. Foster and then went to Police headquarters for a debriefing.

Also during yesterday's trial, the jury made a site visit to Wellington Oval where Det. Con. Swainson pointed out the elevated area behind the scoreboard where the fight started and other areas where violent clashes continued.

The three men in the dock have also pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, going armed in public so as to cause terror and possession of offensive weapons. Butterfield has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted wounding on Everest Trott.

The trial, in front of a six-man and six-woman jury, is set to resume today.