A LORRY driver has said he did not know he had hit anyone until other motorists started waving and shouting at him during the Rixton road rage murder trial.


Mark Slater, aged 47, from Oldham, who has been accused of mowing down and killing Trevor Allen during the incident in February, said he was told by a witness he had killed a man.


The jury at Chester Crown Court heard this morning Slater looked back and could see what he described as a 'pile of rags'.


He told the court he had forgotten telling one of the first witnesses on the scene Mr Allen had been throwing coins at him and thought the first thing he had said was 'Call the police'.


Ian Unsworth, prosecuting, suggested that was because he was trying to get his side of the story in straight away but Slater denied he had intended to kill granddad Trevor Allen, from Swinton.


He was then asked why he did not go to help Mr Allen but Slater claimed he was told by a witness to stay back.


During a 999 call that was played to the jury, Mr Allen could be heard saying: "He's been seriously injured, he's been hit by my vehicle.


"I was in another vehicle but he was out of his."


Mr Unsworth asked how he knew this when earlier he had claimed he did not know what had happened.


Slater replied he was 'stating the obvious'.


Mr Unsworth then accused Slater of having a bad temper behind the wheel and being a bully after referring to two previous road rage incidents involving the Oldham man.


Footage played to the jury of an incident in December last year showed Slater sprinting towards a car before kicking it in a fit of road rage.


Slater said he was provoked and footage had not shown him being spat at earlier.


The trial continues.