A senior police officer feared for his safety when a jockey stepped towards him as the pair concluded an interview in a Melbourne police station, a court has heard.
Detective Senior Constable Julio Salerno agreed with defence counsel that jockey Danny Nikolic had neither thrown a punch nor made a verbal threat in the incident.
But the one-time leading Melbourne rider now faces an assault charge laid by the officer.
During his cross-examination by Nikolic's lawyer in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday, Det Sen Const Salerno said the only physical contact between he and his alleged assailant was a slight touching of their foreheads.
Neither was injured in the incident.
The officer told the court Nikolic had stood up at the end of the interview and was red in the face and was pointing at him.
"I immediately felt threatened," he told the court.
Det Sen Const Salerno rejected assertions by Nikolic's lawyer that he was "gilding the lily and trying to create something out of nothing" by laying a charge.
The court heard Nikolic had gone to the police station on April 6, 2011 to be interviewed about another alleged assault on fellow jockey Mark Pegus and that Det Sen Const Salerno had participated as a corroborator.
Det Sen Const Salerno agreed that he had worn a uniform to the interview so Nikolic would not suspect he was a detective with the homicide squad.
He said the true purpose of his presence was to gather intelligence in relation to the murder of Sydney racing identity Les Samba.
Mr Samba, who was shot dead two months before the alleged assault, was Nikolic's former father-in-law.
Nikolic had earlier been interviewed by police in connection with the Samba murder but has been cleared of any involvement.
The hearing of the assault charges concerning Sen Const Salerno and Pegus are adjourned until next Wednesday.
