A motorist denied deliberately running down a drunken pedestrian on a zebra crossing, a jury heard.

Gary Brooks told police he was horrified when he realised he had hit the man and said it was an accident.

Sean Jones, 33, from Portslade, suffered brain damage when he was knocked down and run over by the car in Portland Road, Hove, in July last year.

Brooks, 32, of Hollingbury Terrace, Brighton, denies attempting to murder Mr Jones and causing him grievous bodily harm.

He has admitted dangerous driving after the collision.

The jury at Hove Crown Court heard how Mr Jones, who had spent the evening in a pub, was on the zebra crossing trying to flag down a taxi.

Witnesses saw Brooks' car halt at the crossing and then move forward. Mr Jones was knocked down and the car ran over him and sped away with the lights switched off.

In an interview with officers Brooks said: "I am sorry with all my heart about what has happened.

"It was all an accident. I swear I did not hit him intentionally.

"I don't know how it happened. I did not stop because I was frightened. I panicked. I don't recall driving over him."

Brooks, a father-of-four, said: "I idolise my children. I swear on their lives and their eyesight I had no intention at all of hurting that man."

He said he was driving home listening to an Elvis CD when he first saw Mr Jones crawling on all fours on the crossing. When he stopped, he said Mr Jones smacked the front of the car and he thought he was going to climb on to the bonnet.

Brooks said: "He spread-eagled himself across the bonnet. That is when I revved up. I wanted to scare him into getting off the car."

Brooks said Mr Jones got off and he went to drive away. He believed Mr Jones had staggered backwards and he realised he had hit him. However, he did not think he had driven over him but had only knocked his arm or leg.

Mr Jones, a refrigeration engineer, told the jury he had no memory of the collision and has only recently returned to work.

The trial continues.