Crawley man denies sex act before fatal crash

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-33556908

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A man has denied taking part in a sex act with his girlfriend while driving at up to 60mph before a crash that killed her.

Minesh Parbat, 36, told jurors he dropped his trousers and underpants as part of a dare with Lisa Watling, but claimed there was nothing sexual in it.

He said she sat on the dashboard as they drove in West Sussex before moving in front of him and obscuring his view.

Mr Parbat denies causing death by dangerous driving at Lewes Crown Court.

Giving evidence, Mr Parbat, of Gregory Close in Maidenbower, Crawley, said Ms Watling, 28, had described feeling "horny".

But he denied anything sexual taking place as he drove his BMW Z3 and said he struggled to get Ms Watling off him before the crash.

The court heard the couple had been out for a meal on 8 March last year and had been to her Langley Green home before he realised his phone was at his home and they went to collect it in the early hours.

Mr Parbat said Ms Watling made a sexual suggestion before he pulled over and undressed.

He said he carried on driving before she sat on the dashboard and moved in front of him so her necklace touched his eye.

"I said, 'no, babe'. I was scared. I thought she was just going to get off me. I had to struggle to get her off me. I had both hands on the steering wheel at the time," Mr Parbat told the court.

'Million times before'

He said by the time he got Ms Watling off him it was too late and the car crashed.

After the crash on the A2011, Mr Parbat gave a positive blood test which showed 102 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrams.

Prosecuting, Philip Meredith suggested Mr Parbat had not pulled over and Ms Watling had been in a "conventional sitting position" and he had been driving dangerously while over the limit, but Mr Parbat replied: "No."

Jurors have heard the car veered into the central reservation, which Mr Parbat responded to by over-steering, causing the vehicle to spin, leave the carriageway and crash into a fence.

Ms Watling, who was found wearing only a T-shirt and bra, died later that day, the court was told.

The jury previously heard Mr Parbat told police his girlfriend's actions did not distract him enough to cause the accident because he had seen her like that a "million times before".

The case continues.