A 28-year-old man accused of glassing a man on the dance floor of a Launceston nightclub suffered a cut on his hand on the night of the alleged offence, a Supreme Court jury heard on Tuesday.
Jeffrey Robert Anderson has pleaded not guilty to wounding Matthew Hart on June 24, 2018, at Bakers Lane nightclub.
Crown prosecutor Jennifer Slevin said in an opening address that the dance floor was packed and some pushing had taken place.
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She said Mr Hart, a visitor from Queensland, was struck with a glass or glass bottle and his face bled.
He caught a taxi to the Launceston General Hospital where he received 11 stitches to the right side of his face.
Defence counsel Fran McCracken said the issue of the trial was who had struck Mr Hart.
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A witness Rebecca Mitchell, who was out for the night with Mr Anderson's sister Rachel, gave evidence that she saw Mr Anderson on the dance floor.
She said that Mr Anderson placed himself between herself and a group of men who were pushing.
She said she had not seen Mr Anderson strike anyone but had seen him fall to the floor.
Ms Mitchell said she saw Mr Anderson leave with a security guard before catching up with him on the corner of Charles and York streets.
"I saw a cut on his hand and he was explaining to a police officer what happened," she said.
"It was bleeding, it was quite a deep cut."
Under cross examination by Ms McCracken, Ms Mitchell said that Mr Anderson could see that she was uncomfortable about the conduct on the dance floor.
She said Mr Anderson was about two metres away but had not seen him strike anyone.
The trial continues on Tuesday afternoon.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
