The 44-year-old was allegedly bashed by a policeman in her home more than two decades ago.

Leading Senior Constable David Jenkin, 49, faced Victoria's County Court for criminal trial, charged with intentionally causing serious injury.

Jenkin, who is still a serving police officer, is accused of assaulting Ms Horvath at her Hastings house on March 9, 1996 during a raid.

"I just remember the glass smashing ... I sort of remember doing a somersault, doing a backflip," Ms Horvath recounted in court on Thursday.

A short time later she woke in a police vehicle.

"I remember waking up in the back of a divisional van with my hands behind my back," she said.

"My face was sore, I was wet ... my face was all sticky. I was covered in blood."

Then aged 21, Ms Horvath was allegedly assaulted when police came to arrest her after a "heavy scuffle" with an officer earlier that evening, prosecutor John Saunders said.

She admitted fighting with Jenkin while trying to stop him coming onto the property where she and her partner were hosting a barbecue, the jury heard.

"He was walking towards me and straight away we have hands on each other," Ms Horvath said.

Another officer, Senior Constable Stephen Davison, and the woman's partner Craig Love, had to intervene to break up the pair.

The police officers left with Sen Const Davison yelling "get back into the car" to Jenkin before the duo called for back-up, the court was told.

The jury heard it was about an hour later that police stormed the house to arrest Ms Horvath and Mr Love.

Multiple witnesses saw the alleged assault, Mr Saunders said.

He argued that the actions of Jenkin were unlawful because he did not act with lawful excuse and was not defending himself, or another officer.

"The use of force was excessive and therefore illegal," the prosecutor said.

Lawyer Marcus Dempsey argued that his client Jenkin didn't unlawfully or intentionally do anything.

He told the jury Ms Horvath was hostile towards police and would provide proof.

"Her real animosity toward police was bordering on hatred," Mr Dempsey said.

The barrister planned to test the credibility and reliability of witnesses and suggested there was collusion between them.

The trial continues on Monday.

Australian Associated Press