Court told of interview clash between Danny Nikolic and homicide detective Danny Nikolic outside the Magistrates' Court. THE police officer allegedly assaulted by champion jockey Danny Nikolic was a homicide detective who was sussing out Nikolic as a "person of interest" in the murder of Nikolic's father-in-law, racehorse owner Les Samba, a court has heard. After being interviewed about an assault on fellow jockey Mark Pegus and a later assault on Pegus' girlfriend Ricki-Lee Hull in 2011, 38-year-old Daniel Mario Nikolic allegedly aggressively pointed at a police officer and dared him to punch him. Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard Nikolic accused Detective Senior Constable Julio Salerno of "having a go" at him and faced off with the officer until their foreheads touched, before he was shoved back into his chair. The interviewing officer, Sergeant David Eadie, denied detective Salerno - who was a member of the elite Purana Taskforce that investigated Melbourne's gangland killings and the unsolved murder of Mr Samba - had been sent down to "wind Danny up." Nikolic was one of a number of racing identities questioned after the February 2011 murder of the well-known horse owner. Sgt Eadie said the detective was present at the April 2011 interview as a corroborator at the behest of the Purana Taskforce. "When he is a person of interest, it is relevant and reasonable for someone to come down," Sgt Eadie said. I, as a sergeant, didn't take it any further as to the tactics and reasons. The sergeant said he and Nikolic had good rapport and remained in the St Kilda Police Station interview room and had a chat after the alleged assault. Nikolic, sitting in the front row of the courtroom and cleaning his glasses with a tissue, turned to his supporters and said, "Chew the fat," laughing. Sgt Eadie said Det Salerno's assertion to Nikolic that footage from the night of the assault on Ms Hull at the Barkly Hotel in St Kilda clearly showed he was present was not inappropriate. Det Salerno allegedly said: "I know it's you, you know it's you, but at the end of the day it's not for us to decide." Nikolic pleaded not guilty to all three assaults. Earlier, Nikolic's barrister Sandy Robertson asked the magistrate to stand herself down after Sgt Eadie said Nikolic had anger management issues that become apparent during a stewards inquiry that resulted in him being banned from racing. Magistrate Angela Bolger refused the application. Nikolic allegedly punched jockey Mark Pegus around six times in the head at Caulfield Racecourse in January 2011 because he believed his long-time friend had been bad-mouthing his brother. He faces charges of recklessly causing injury, intentionally causing injury and unlawful assault over the alleged incident involving Pegus and unlawful assault of the police officer. The contested hearing, which is dealing with only two of the three assault matters, was originally scheduled for two days but will continue for a third day next week. A relevant prosecution witness for the assault allegations against Ms Hull could not be located so that matter has been adjourned. Nikolic is serving a one-year disqualification followed by a one-year suspension, where he can ride track work and attend races, for threatening chief steward Terry Bailey and his family.