A driver’s death following a “road rage” fight was an accident, a murder trial jury has heard.
Andrew Robson, 33, is accused of intentionally swerving his Ford Transit van towards Paul Bowles, 50, and knocking him to the ground before driving off.
Shortly before, the men had got out of their vehicles as they pulled up to roundabout traffic lights in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, at about 18:40 BST on 26 March.
Prosecutors say Robson, who denies murder and manslaughter charges, returned to his van after blows were exchanged and then deliberately veered to the left in the direction of Mr Bowles who was still in the road.
Robson claims he did not see him or realise he had struck him.
Delivering his closing speech, his barrister Simon Csoka KC reminded the jury of the evidence of the prosecution’s road collision expert which said tyre marks at the scene were consistent with “torque steer”.
He said such an unintentional pull to the side due to too much acceleration was “classic accident” and involved someone driving in “suboptimal conditions”.
Mr Csoka said he was not asking the jury to decide “exactly what sparked this all off”.
He questioned whether it mattered if Mr Robson used a rude gesture or caused frustration with his driving.
He said it was “nothing compared to what happened next” when Robson was held in a bear hug and repeatedly punched by a “big, heavy man”.
Mr Csoka said: “When someone is stressed, distracted, or in fear, they drive worse.
“If they have just been repeatedly punched to the head, they drive worse.
“It is for the prosecution to prove this case. The defendant does not have to prove anything at all.”
He then accused the prosecution of being “extremely selective” in how it used evidence to build its case, and that it needed to consider the “objective evidence such as that of an expert.
“What we say is all of it points towards accident or at the very least leaves open the possibility of accident,” he said.
“And if you think there is a possibility this was an accident then you would acquit the defendant on the counts of murder and manslaughter.”
Gordon Cole KC, prosecuting, said their case was that Robson, of Fold Green, Chadderton, “lost his temper” and intended to inflict, at least, very serious harm to Mr Bowles.
The jury is expected to retire on Friday to consider its verdicts.
