A driver who crashed into a wall as police pursued him through the centre of Aberdeen has denied doing it in an attempt to kill himself and his girlfriend.
George ‘Brian’ Alden, 36, is on trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he faces charges of endangering the life of his ex-girlfriend Chantelle Eisma-Clinch by driving his red Citroen C4 dangerously while under the influence.
It is alleged Alden accelerated to excessive speeds before mounting a pavement and colliding with railings and a building on Crown Street.
The car then flipped over and ended up on its roof in the middle of the road.
Ms Eisma-Clinch suffered a fractured pelvis and spent a fortnight in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary following the crash.
Alden, who was working as a barman at the time, admits being over the drink-drive limit but denies driving dangerously, causing serious injury and endangering the life of Ms Eisma-Clinch on October 11 2022.
It’s claimed Alden also refused to let Ms Eisma-Clinch fasten her seatbelt prior to the crash and sped through a red light.
He also denies assaulting her by seizing her by the neck, pushing her against railings and shoving her to the ground.
Driver denies trying to kill woman
But while giving evidence on the third day of his trial, Alden repeatedly denied deliberately crashing the car.
Ms Eisma-Clinch claimed earlier in the trial that as Alden sped off he refused to listen to her pleas for him to stop.
She said he crashed the car due to seeing it as his “only way out” even if it meant killing them both.
“Did you seek to take your own life?” his lawyer Graham Robertson KC asked.
“No, sir,” Alden replied.
Mr Robertson pressed Alden again: “Did you seek to take the life of the passenger in the front passenger seat – the lady who was with you?”
“No, sir,” the accused replied again.
“In the course of that journey from the square to the collision point, did you do or say anything to prevent or to prohibit the front seat passenger to wear a seatbelt?” Mr Robertson asked.
‘No, sir,” Alden said.
“Are you clear about that?” his lawyer asked.
“One hundred percent,” he replied.
‘Collision was inevitable’
Jurors also heard from Detective Constable Barry Corbett, who helped complete the crash investigation report which found Alden “solely responsible” for the collision.
The report concluded that there was “little doubt” that the manner Alden’s car was being driven was in response to him being pursued by police vehicles.
But the report added that “it would be expected that a reasonable, careful, competent and safe driver would stop at the earliest and safest moment to do so”.
It went on to conclude that “the vehicle was driven at excessive speed” and was “possibly combined with intoxication”.
The investigators said the crash was caused by “a steering overcorrection” which “led to the vehicle oversteering, resulting in a full loss of control”.
“Due to this, a collision was inevitable,” the report stated.
The trial, before Sheriff Ian Wallace, continues.
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