A GWENT Police officer has denied punching a man in the face while on a night out in Cardiff.

A misconduct committee, the first of its kind to be held in public, heard PC Peter Edwards attended a dinner at the Park Plaza hotel in the capital in December last year.

The former military anaesthetic practitioner, who has two black belts in martial arts, claimed a man "fell into him" as he left the hotel to get some fresh air.

In response, PC Edwards told the committee he used an "instinctive block manoeuvre" to move away from the man and categorically denied punching him.

PC Edwards, who stands at 6'2 and weighs around 15 stone, said: "I'd had a drink but I was by no means drunk.

"I was just walking and all of a sudden he fell into me."

He said it was an "instinctive block manoeuvre" to the chest area of the alleged victim.

"It was just ludicrous being accused of something that I had not done," he added. "It was bizarre.

"To be accused of that knowing fully well what had happened was completely and utterly bizarre.

"I found the whole incident utterly mortifying. My life was falling apart by that point."

PC Edwards was suspended from duty on December 17 last year, following the incident.

The alleged victim told two on-duty South Wales Police officers that he had been punched in the face by PC Edwards, who was then called over by the female officers.

Giving evidence earlier today, the officers said PC Edwards was "aggressive" and was waving his warrant card as they arrested him on suspicion of assault.

It is claimed PC Edwards told the women that they should not arrest "one of their own", and that he was "actively resisting" the officers.

The alleged victim, who was crying uncontrollably while at the police station, was not interviewed as the officers believed he was too intoxicated. He admitted that he had drank three bottles of wine that night.

Describing the alleged incident, PC Edwards said there was no time to feel threatened as “it was such a quick scenario. One minute he was there and the next he was in my face. I didn’t know what his intention was. I maybe just thought he was falling into me – [my response] was just a reflex action.

“I didn’t think I had done anything other than push him out of my way. My background is one of caring. As far as I was aware I hadn’t injured him. I thought turning back might have escalated the situation.”

Proceeding.