The trial of Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton began today in Canberra, with the court being told of the South Sydney superstar’s terror at being arrested following an altercation in February.

Wighton is accused of fighting in a public place and failing to comply with an exclusion direction and Mitchell of fighting in a public place, affray, and obstructing/resisting territory officials.

Their defence represented the pair’s arrest as Wighton sticking up for Mitchell, his distant relative, after police were called to Fiction nightclub in the capital following reports of a fight between the pair.

“It seems to me that (Wighton) is accused of not turning his back on his cousin and walking off into the night in circumstances where Mr Mitchell ultimately was reduced to a weeping mess, worrying that he might die, and screaming that he’s got two daughters,” said Steve Boland, representing Mitchell.

Wighton had been kicked out of the club after bouncers deemed him to be acting aggressively, with prosecutors alleging that he had “facial expressions that showed he was upset, and angry, and had clenched fists”, which had caused security to act and police to become involved.

Mitchell and Wighton, per the prosecution, were then “pushing, shoving, and grappling with each other”, which was captured on CCTV, which the defence debates was a fight at all.

Police instructed Wighton to leave the area and told Mitchell to get on his knees.

The Souths fullback, the court heard, told officers that he had done “nothing wrong except be a blackfella in Australia” and told bystanders to release footage they were filming of the incident, shouting “share it, share it for every motherfucker to see.”

Wighton is alleged to have said cops should “lock him up with (Latrell)” while calling them “fuckwits”.

The trial continues.