TEENAGE driver Richard Bradley, who is accused of knocking over and seriously injuring mum of three Elaine Haworth, said he did not know that he had hit a person until he was arrested.

In a statement to police, read out to Preston Crown Court, 18-year-old Bradley, of Whitby Drive, Blackburn said: "If I had known I hit a lady I would not have carried on going. I would have stopped and surrendered. I would have helped her."

Elaine Haworth sustained serious head and pelvic injuries after being struck by a car close to her home in Priory Grange, Darwen on the evening of August 15 last year.

Bradley, who was arrested at his home in the early hours of the following morning, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and inflicting grievous bodily harm but faces trial on grievous bodily harm with intent.

He said that, after hearing witness statements, he accepted that he hit Mrs Haworth but he did not accept the suggestion he did it on purpose.

The court heard in the hours leading up to the incident Bradley had drunk two bottles of the vodka-fruit juice mix Taboo.

He said he had arrived with his friends in a car at Abbey Place, Darwen, but said that a boy had started an argument with him.

He said he was "angry" and "scared" because he believed that he was going to be attacked and that he had got back into the car and driven off.

He denied he was drunk when he got into the car. He had seen a man standing in the road, but had not seen a woman. "I was not travelling fast. I was making loads of revs and making it sound loud. I started accelerating, but not hard. I realised something had hit the windscreen but thought that lad had chucked something."

(Proceeding)