A MAN accused of the murder of Trevor Allen vowed to never drive a HGV vehicle again after knocking down and killing the 56-year-old granddad, Chester Crown Court heard today, Thursday.

During a police interview on February 16, Mark Slater, aged 47, from Oldham, said he knows a family has been destroyed by what has happened.

He added that he would be handing his licence in to the driving commissioner following the fatal crash.

Slater, who has been a HGV driver for 21 years, said he could no longer continue with the job and would now look for different employment.

“All I can say is someone has died here, the family has been destroyed. What I have told you is what I think is right - what I’ve seen,” he said during questioning.

The jury heard how Slater, who denies murder, had been driving down Manchester Road when the incident happened on February 15.

An altercation had taken place between the pair as they both travelled down the same stretch of road before Mr Allen stopped his Citroen Belingo in front of the lorry that Slater was driving.

Slater, who says he has no idea why Mr Allen had become annoyed with him, denied seeing the victim stood in the middle of the road and said he would have stopped if he had seen the victim.

“If he was in the middle of the road I would have seen him without a shadow of doubt.

"If I had seen him I would have stopped - there’s no way I would have driven over somebody like that,” said Slater to officers during questioning.

The trial continues.