Crash driver denies racing

Mr and Mrs Green had been married three years at the time of the crash

A motorist accused of causing the death of a policewoman has denied he was racing with a friend to test out modifications made to his car.

Anthony Antoniou has pleaded not guilty to causing the death by dangerous driving of 33-year-old Lorna Green, from Guildford, Surrey.

The 21-year-old, from Green Lane, Norbury, south London, is accused of racing his Volkswagen Golf GTi along Croydon Road, Mitcham.

Kingston Crown Court heard on Monday he had paid £225 to have a performance-enhancing chip fitted to its engine on the day of the crash.

£1,000 on modifications

The crash, at about 2300 BST on 23 August, saw Mrs Green thrown off the motorcycle on which she was a pillion passenger, while her husband Robert, who was riding the bike, became trapped under it and lost both his legs.

At no stage that night was I racing, I never went out to race Anthony Antoniou

Mr Antoniou's friend, Gavin Delaney-McDermott, 22, of Streatham Vale, was driving the car with which they collided and has admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

The court was told Mr Antoniou had spent around £1,000 on modifications to the car and was planning to race against others on a quarter-of-a-mile-long drag track the next day.

The prosecution suggested he had driven along Croydon Road because he knew it was the same distance and would enable him to test the modifications.

Mr Antoniou said: "At no stage that night was I racing, I never went out to race.

"I know the truth. I know I had no part of that accident, I was not racing.

"I can live with myself because I know the truth."

Bike 'disintegrated'

He said he would not have driven dangerously on the road because his cousin had "nearly died" in a crash there.

He denied driving anywhere near the 80mph witnesses had suggested he had been.

Mr Antoniou also described how he had stopped and tried to help after the crash.

He said he saw the motorbike on fire and the couple on the ground.

Mr Antoniou told the jury: "I tried to grab the front wheel and as I tried to lift the bike it just disintegrated in my hands."

He said the bike went up in flames and he used his t-shirt to extinguish the fire before moving the couple away from the wreckage.

He denied prosecution claims he was trying to make himself appear a "hero".

The trial continues.