Gian Chand Bajar died in hospital from his injuries
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A man accused of murdering a taxi driver by running him over with his own cab has told a court he did not recall seeing anyone in the darkness.
Luke Aujila, 21, of Dorchester Road, Gravesend, admitted at Maidstone Crown Court the manslaughter of Gian Chand Bajar, 71, but denies murder.
Mr Bajar, a father-of-five, died in hospital of his injuries.
Mr Aujila said: "I don't remember thinking there's a man in the road. I don't remember seeing anyone."
Under cross-examination from prosecutor Alan Kent, he added: "I wasn't thinking at all."
'Getting drunk'
Mr Aujila told the court earlier that he could not explain why the taxi had stopped in St Benedict's Avenue - despite the fact that he lived in nearby Dorchester Road with his parents.
He said: "I've been thinking about that for the last 12 months. I don't know.
"The only thing I can think of is getting drunk and giving him the wrong directions."
Mr Aujila claimed he only punched Mr Bajar after he had grabbed his face and that his blood became smeared on his trainers when the pensioner fell forward and slid down his body.
He told the court: "I just remember my face being grabbed and throwing a punch. I didn't kick no-one or hit no-one. I just remember running to the car. I don't know why, I could have run home."
Blood-soaked t-shirt
Mr Aujila said he had spoken to his work colleagues about assaulting a cab driver to get advice and "panicked" when he heard on radio reports that a taxi driver had died.
The court was also told he washed his blood-soaked t-shirt the following day and tried to sell his stained trainers to a friend for £10.
Mr Kent said: "I suggest to you this is quite a deliberate act by you in driving over a man you had just assaulted.
"I suggest you smashed the man in."
Mr Aujila replied: "I didn't believe I killed anyone. That didn't cross my mind. What I did was wrong. I know that.
"You don't understand how much I regret what I did."
The case continues.
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