A police corporal recalled seeing soca artiste Rodney "Benjai" Le Blanc spit in the direction of another policeman at a fete on San Fernando Hill over a year ago.
Corporal Anthony Wolffe gave this evidence when the trial against Le Blanc, 34, who is accused of assaulting PC Valentine Eastman by spitting on him, began before San Fernando Magistrate Natalie Diop on Tuesday.
Le Blanc lawyer, Shalini Khan, had suggested an adjournment, saying she would prefer both officers to give evidence on the same day.
Eastman, court prosecutor Vinton Dinoo said, was attending a course at the Police Training College, St James.
However, the magistrate said the matter was fixed for trial and she was starting it.
Wolffe said on December 18, 2011 he was on duty at the bottom of San Fernando Hill when around 1.30 am he arrested Le Blanc.
He said he instructed Eastman to carry La Blanc to the Mon Repos Police Station. He said while Eastman was escorting Le Blanc to the police vehicle, he started to behave in an agitated manner.
He said there was a large crowd of patrons following them and also behaving in an agitated manner. He said the crowd was shouting at the police to release Le Blanc.
Wolffe, who passed through the crowd, said he was six feet away when he saw the police trying to put Le Blanc in the back seat of the police vehicle.
He said there appeared to be some resistance from Le Blanc and the crowd increased its protest.
"At that stage I saw Mr Le Blanc spit in the direction of PC Eastman. I saw a struggle and Mr Le Blanc was eventually placed in the vehicle by police officers," he added.
At the police station, he said, Le Blanc continuously shouted he was a man of science and he would treat with Eastman.
He charged Le Blanc, of Immortelle Avenue, Malabar, with assaulting Eastman in the execution of his duties.
Le Blanc's attorney said she would cross-examine Wolffe at the next hearing when Eastman was present.
She said Le Blanc would be out of the country from January 22 to 27.
The matter was adjourned to January 29.
