A LEARNER driver accused of unlawfully killing a farm worker by deliberately swerving his 4x4 at him in a supermarket car park, told a jury he was "scared" when he saw two men approaching his vehicle minutes after they had argued.

Timothy Higgins, 22, formerly of The Glade, Wyllie, Blackwood, had exchanged obscenities and gestures with Paul Gadd - the driver of a Volkswagen Passat - and his passenger, brother Christopher Gadd, moments before in the Pontllanfraith Sainsburys car park on the afternoon of March 4 this year.

Higgins, appearing at Cardiff Crown Court, is accused of the manslaughter of Christopher Gadd.

He told the jury he had been reversing his Land Rover Freelander out of a parking space but was forced to drive back into it when he saw a car appear suddenly in his rear view mirror.

After reversing out a second time, he saw the Passat with two men in it in a space, and they were "gesturing".

Higgins told the jury the passenger "had his head out of the window" and was making a v-sign, and "I wound down my window to hear what he was saying".

He said he heard the man shouting "come on then" and swearing, so he swore back, before winding up his window. He then pulled away.

He turned right at the car park lane junction and was approaching a second right turn towards the exit, when he saw the men from the Passat "within arm's length" of his vehicle. One was "punching his one fist into his palm".

READ MORE:

Higgins told the jury he swore at the men moments earlier" as a brush off, because they were shouting and swearing", but said he had felt "scared".

Seeing them near his car, he said: "I was scared they could have dragged me out of the car, they could have smashed the car windows.

"I was frightened at this point."

Questioned by his barrister Paul Lewis QC, Higgins insisted he had made this second right turn into the correct left hand lane.

He said he thought the man he saw punching his hand was going to punch the car or hit the window, and had continued driving.

"The prosecution case is in effect, that you deliberately swerved to your offside and hit him. Did you deliberately steer your vehicle so as to hit Mr Gadd?," said Mr Lewis.

"No," said Higgins.

Higgins said he had continued to drive, but "heard a thump".

"I thought he had hit a door or kicked it or something," he said. He had then seen a man on the ground, in his driver's side mirror.

He said he had not seen any contact between the man and the Freelander.

Christopher Gadd, who had celebrated his 48th birthday the previous day, was later pronounced dead, having suffered severe head injuries.

Higgins told the jury he had been "devastated" on realising Mr Gadd had been seriously injured, and being told he had later died.

Proceeding.