Murder accused 'assumed victim had got up'

A murder accused has told a court he did not realise he had driven over a pub landlord in the car park of a village inn.

Lee McNamara said that as he drove off after stealing a car he thought Steven Curran was in the pub. McNamara, 24, said he had punched Mr Curran who fell to the ground and took keys from him but told the High Court in Edinburgh: "I just assumed he had got up."

McNamara, of Carberry Court, Whitecraig, admitted killing Mr Curran, 47, on October 20 last year.

After the Crown rejected his guilty plea to culpable homicide he is standing trial denying that he murdered Mr Curran.