Cameron Baker was forcibly removed from King O'Malley's Irish Pub in Garema Place late one night in April 2011.

Security officers from King O'Malley's told the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday that they had received a complaint that an intoxicated man inside the pub had taken the hat of a female patron.

Two staff approached him, asking him to leave.

Mr Baker, they claim, was intoxicated, verbally abusive, and repeatedly refused to leave.

But Mr Baker says the pub's security acted "without reasonable cause or lawful excuse". He claims he told security he had done nothing wrong before beginning to walk out of the pub.

CCTV footage then showed security guards grab hold of Mr Baker. One grabbed him with two hands around the neck. They then dragged him towards the door, before another security officer arrived and put him in a "full nelson" hold, similar to a double shoulder lock, and took him out of the venue.

He was arrested outside, charged with failing to leave a licensed premises as directed, and held for roughly seven hours.

The charge was later dropped by prosecutors after they offered no evidence in court in May 2012.

Mr Baker is now suing King O'Malley's and police for personal injury from the alleged assault, and police for false arrest, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

Three men working as security officers on the night gave evidence about the incident before Magistrate Robert Cook on Tuesday.

One said Mr Baker aggressively pushed the hand of one of the security officers from his body just before they grabbed him and said words to the effect of "Don't touch me". He said he thought Mr Baker may have been about to punch someone.

But the court heard details about Mr Baker's alleged intoxication and refusal to leave were not recorded in a report of the event in the pub's incident register, which the ACT's liquor laws obliged the business to keep.

Mr Baker's barrister Jack Pappas quizzed one of the security officers about why those details were missing, despite similar information being recorded for a separate incident on the same night.

"It's a poorly written report," the security officer said.

Mr Pappas replied: "But it's in the next entry; he didn't refuse to leave at all, did he?"

Mr Baker claims he suffered bruising and discomfort to his neck and upper torso, general body soreness and anxiety and upset.

He also claims he had done nothing to justify his arrest, and is suing police and the Commonwealth for personal injury, his legal expenses, lost wages, and anxiety and uncertainty arising from the case.

The hearing will continue in October, when police witnesses are expected to be called.