The man allegedly assaulted by policeman Chris Hurley has told a Gold Coast court the officer may have been angered by a joke he overheard, believing it was directed at him.

Hurley, the police officer at the centre of the 2004 Palm Island death-in-custody scandal, allegedly grabbed plasterer Luke Cole by the throat and slammed his head against a car during the November 2013 incident on a major Robina road.

Hurley was initially charged with one count of assault, but three more were added at day one of a two-day hearing in the Southport Magistrates Court.

Mr Cole told the court he was a passenger in a car, with four other people, when they drove past an accident scene on Robina Parkway two years ago.

Mr Cole said a joke he made to his friends in the car, about the model of the vehicle involved in the crash, was probably overheard by Hurley as they drove past the crash scene.

Under cross-examination, Mr Cole denied he was mouthing off at police, but accepted the senior sergeant may have thought the comments made in the car were directed towards him.

Hurley followed their car and pulled them over to the roadside, the court heard.

Mr Cole told the court the aggressive officer then leaned into the car and said: "Who's yelling out of the car, who said that?"

Luke Cole leaving court after giving evidence against Hurley. ( ABC News: Tom Forbes )

Mr Cole said he responded: "I said something mate, what is it I said?"

The passenger said when he left the car, Hurley grabbed him by the throat and slammed his head against the vehicle.

Cole could not breathe and could hear his neck cracking, the court was told.

He tried to break the officer's grip, Hurley lost balance, and both men fell over a guard rail.

The court also heard that during the scuffle the officer allegedly punched Mr Cole in the face with handcuffs.

Mr Cole said Hurley, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, then pulled out his Taser and said he was under arrest for assaulting a police officer.

Mr Cole then ran from the scene, fearing he would be Tasered.

He was arrested 11 days later at his Mudgeeraba home.

In 2007, Hurley was acquitted of the manslaughter of Palm Island man Cameron Doomadgee, who died in custody in 2004.

The hearing continues.