A man accused of murder who denies pointing out a group of friends moments before his father ploughed into them admits he panicked after the fatal collision.
Shaun Breeze called his father, Martin, after he was involved in an innocuous confrontation with members of the group as they headed home from the pub.
The 29-year-old maintained that he never looked out of the front windscreen of his father’s van after he picked him up following the minor altercation in Ingleby Barwick.
Giving evidence at his trial at Teesside Crown Court, the defendant admitted he panicked after the collision which resulted in the death of Brian Darby but denied pointing out the friends to his father.
Brian Darby
The 60-year-old was killed and three other people, including a teenager, were seriously injured following the fatal incident in February.
Breeze denied riding through the group to start the incident and maintained that one of them tried to kick him off his bike.
He also denied brandishing a knife towards them before they chased him away.
John Elvidge KC, who represents the 29-year-old, quizzed the defendant about what happened after his father came to pick him up.
He said: “My dad was asking me if I was alright. Before I knew it, the van made a jolt and all the windscreen was smashed.”
Mr Elvidge asked: “Did you point anyone out to your dad, before the windscreen was smashed?” Breeze replied: “No.”
He continued: “Did you tell your dad to drive into anyone?” Breeze replied: “No.”
“Did you want your dad to hurt anyone?” he asked. Breeze again replied: “No.”
The van at the scene of the alleged murder of Brian Darby (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)
Breeze admitted that they both panicked and fled home where they continued taking a cocktail of drugs.
Under cross-examination from prosecuting barrister Nick Dry, the defendant denied brandishing a knife at the group of friends.
Jurors listened to the 999 call where Shaun Breeze reported that his father’s van had been stolen before the fatal collision occurred.
Mr Dry asked the defendant had pointed out the group of friends in order for his father to drive at them. Breeze replied: “No.”
Police cordon in place of the alleged murder of Brian Darby (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)
Asked what he thought had happened by his barrister Peter Makepeace KC, Breeze Snr told the court: “I knew I had hit something. It might have been a person, I don’t know. As I drove around it sort of sunk in.
“It all happened that fast. To be honest, I hit someone, yeah.”
Martin Breeze, 57, of Irthing Close, Ingleby Barwick has pleaded not guilty to 11 charges.
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He denied the murder of Mr Darby, the manslaughter of Mr Darby, four charges of attempted murder, and four charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
Shaun Breeze, 29, of Owls Grove, Ingleby Barwick, has also pleaded not guilty to the same set of charges.
The father and son are also charged with an additional offence of perverting the course of justice, which they both deny, after reporting the van stolen to police.
The trial continues.
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