Matthew and David's Latvian solicitor, Jelena Kvjatkovska, said there were differences in what the officer was saying in court and in three statements he made following the incident.

CCTV footage showed Mr [Juris] Circens holding Matthew and pulling him to the floor, but it did not show anyone hitting the officer. David was seen on CCTV footage leaving the bar. He was arrested afterwards by Mr Circens.

CCTV also showed Matthew leaving the scene with his friend, Simon Barcz. Matthew was later arrested at his hotel.

When asked by Ms Kvjatkovska why he had no bruising after being allegedly assaulted, the officer said it was because he used to do boxing.

After hearing two days of evidence, the trial was adjourned for one week because four Latvian witnesses failed to turn up.

But when proceedings were restarted a week later, only one of those witnesses appeared. Two told the court they had health problems and one witness, a security guard at the bar, did not give an excuse.