The assault trial of Government backbencher Arthur Pitcher wrapped up yesterday with the St. George's MP alleging that the prosecution's two witnesses were drug dealers and of bad character.

Under cross examination yesterday, Pitcher said accusations that he flew into a rage and threw worker Ryan Fox up against a wall were untrue, and said the testimonies put forward by the alleged victim and witness Anthony Foggo had been orchestrated.

He had told Magistrates' Court on Thursday that he believed Mr. Fox and Mr. Foggo, both former employees of his, had conspired against him when retelling the events of August last year.

He has denied assaulting Mr. Fox, and said he merely pushed him out of the way in self-defence and out of provocation.

Prosecutor Oonagh Vaucrosson said: "Why do you think that Mr. Fox and Mr. Foggo would conspire against you?"

Pitcher responded: "Their statements were given after they had been terminated."

However, the MP then went on to say that he was not actually sure when Mr. Foggo had been let go from the Southside building site in relation to when the statement was given.

He added: "They conspired because the evidence Mr. Foggo gave saying that I was more of a friend to him than Mr. Fox was - I consider that to be a farce. The only time I was in close proximity to him was at work.

"These two had the same lifestyle. They deal in drugs. They were doing drugs on the job."

But Mrs. Vaucrosson asked why Pitcher had not mentioned all of this to his lawyer Michael Scott, so that he could have tested their credibility while they gave evidence.

She said introducing the bad character element after they had left the stand meant they could not defend themselves.

But Mr. Pitcher said: "I did not know I could stand up and challenge a witness."

The prosecutor replied: "That's why you employ the services of a lawyer."

Pitcher will have to wait three weeks for the verdict of the case, which has been heard before Senior Magistrate William Francis.

Mrs. Vaucrosson has alleged that Pitcher assaulted one of his employees, Ryan Fox, at the affordable housing development in August of last year.

She told the court that it was her case that the MP flew into a rage and threw Mr. Fox against a wall, damaging his neck, before dragging him outside and ordering him off the site.

The court heard Mr. Fox allege that his boss had got upset after he had failed to complete a wiring task left for him at the building project.

Mr. Fox said he had suffered a neck sprain and had to stay in hospital, as a result of the attack.

However, Mr. Scott said his client had only been acting out of self-defence and provocation when he pushed Mr. Fox away.

Pitcher told the court that he had returned to the site to find Mr. Fox sleeping in one of the rooms during his lunch break, with the 15-minute task not completed.

He said he told Mr. Fox to leave the site and said he did not pay him to sleep on the job, but then went on handing out instructions to other workers.

The accused said it had not been his intention to fire Mr. Fox or get into a scuffle with him, but said the worker went up into his face, shouting profanities at him, including calling him a f****** bald-headed bastard.

Pitcher said he had done nothing to provoke his worker.

The MP said he thought Mr. Fox was about to swing a punch at him, so he pushed him away with the back of his hands.

He alleged that Fox jumped up and immediately went back into his face again, so he grabbed him by his arms and walked him out of the building, telling him he was fired.

While giving evidence on Thursday, Pitcher told the court that he believed Mr. Fox had been acting when he stumbled and hit the floor after he pushed him away.

However, Mrs. Vaucrosson asked why he had not told the Police that while giving a lengthy statement.

And Pitcher said his push had not been hard enough to make him fall, and said Mr. Fox definitely did not hit the wall.

Mrs. Vaucrosson said: "When you pushed him, Mr. Fox did more than lose his balance; He was actually airborne into the wall."

Mr. Pitcher responded: "That is a fabrication."

The Government backbencher had told the court that he was not angry after returning to the site to find the job not done, but he said he was ignoring Mr. Fox.

However, yesterday Mr. Francis that he would not have been wrong to feel angry and frustrated, and said he should tell the court if that is how he felt.

Mr. Francis said: "For a man to come up into his face, screaming at him, the boss has every right to push him out of the way, in my view. The question is the force.

"You don't have to pretend that you were not angry. There is no offence of being angry. In my view, it's quite normal."

After that, Pitcher admitted that he had been "extremely angry" when he claimed Mr. Fox had come at him a second time.

Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Banagal Chevlam told the court that Mr. Fox had suffered a sprained neck, and said it could have happened as a result of a whiplash-type motion, and said it could have happened from being pushed.

However, he also said that had Mr. Fox not suffered a triple fracture to his neck seven years ago in a road accident, causing wires and plates to remain in his neck now, he probably would not have suffered as a result of the push.

But Mrs. Vaucrosson said Pitcher knew Mr. Fox had a condition, which caused him to limp, and therefore should not have used any force.

She said the injury had been caused regardless.

Mr. Francis will give his verdict on November 1.