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A drunken police officer bit a man’s lip as they queued to get into a bar in Cardiff after a rugby match, a court heard.

Cardiff Crown Court heard off-duty Detective Constable Stephen Smith, from Gwent Police , had drunk around 10 pints of beer before the alleged assault outside Brewhouse.

As he was arrested, the officer allegedly said: “I can’t believe I’m in handcuffs.”

The court heard the incident occurred outside Brewhouse in St Mary Street around 7.30pm on March 12 last year – the day of England v Wales at Twickenham.

Smith denies unlawful wounding and perverting the course of justice and is on trial.

Owen Williams, prosecuting, read out a transcript of the defendant’s police interview.

Smith told officers he had gone to Cardiff with his girlfriend to watch the match and had been to bars including Zero Degrees and Walkabout before queuing up outside Brewhouse.

He said he noticed “a bit of a disturbance” in the queue and stated complainant Jonathan Harris insulted and swore at his partner.

The defendant told officers: “He started on my missus. He looked like he was going to punch her.”

Smith said the incident was “over in a couple of seconds”.

He told officers he was face-to-face with Mr Harris when he felt the man bite his lip.

The defendant said: “I did bite him but it was to make him let go – there was no other was I could have got him off.

“He wasn’t letting go and I couldn’t get rid of him. I bit him as hard as I could.”

He said he used his incisor to bite as hard as he could until the other man let go.

Asked if he threw any punches, he replied: “Not as far as I’m aware.”

Smith added: “I’m not an aggressive person by any means. I don’t like fighting.”

Questioned about why he did not try to defuse the situation, he said Mr Harris was “very aggressive”, stating there was “no option” to calm him down.

He added: “I just tried to stop my girlfriend from getting assaulted.”

The court heard he said as he was arrested: “I can’t believe I’m in handcuffs – the other guy should be in handcuffs. Why am I getting locked up? I didn’t do anything.”

Smith, 33, from Cwrt Pen-y-Twyn in Tredegar , denies unlawful wounding and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Prosecutors said the second count relates to a series of Facebook messages sent following the incident.

The trial continues.