VINNIE JONES - VINNIE JONES CLAIMS SELF-DEFENCE OVER BAR ASSAULT

VINNIE JONES CLAIMS SELF-DEFENCE OVER BAR ASSAULT

Former footballer Vinnie Jones claims he was acting in self-defence during a brawl in a South Dakota bar, a court has heard.

The ex-Wimbledon player turned actor is on trial for assault in Sioux Falls over a bar fight last December in which he was hospitalised for cuts to his face.

His alleged victim Juan Trevino-Barrera claims a "very rude" Jones punched him three times during a row over using the bar pool table while Jones' lawyer says his client acted in self-defence.

Jones, 44, is charged with simple assault and could receive a maximum jail sentence of one year, as well as a $1,000 (£657) fine.

The fight is said to have erupted when Jones tried to join a pool game in Wiley's Tavern in Sioux Falls last December.

Witnesses at the time claimed Jones took offence when he was asked if he was "that guy from X-Men", in reference to his starring role as Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand.

Mr Trevino-Barrera is also suing Jones for lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering, and claims he was punched in the head by Jones during the scuffle, which saw the former footballer hit in the face with a beer mug.

Peter Wold, Jones' lawyer, says his client was acting in self-defence when he struck Mr Trevino-Barrera, while on his way to clean his facial injuries.

"Vinnie Jones used very reasonable force in an attempt to protect himself when he finally could," Mr Wold claimed during opening statements.

However, Sioux Falls police officer Chris Treadway told the court Jones was arrested after admitting punching Mr Trevino-Barrera for heckling and taunting him over his accent.

The trial continues.