A motorist whose car was involved in a fatal accident in which two of his friends died broke down as he told a jury the crash was not his fault.

Jeyanthan Thangarajah, 27, who was more than twice the legal drink drive limit when he lost control of his powerful Vauxhall Vectra and hit a tree, was giving evidence at his trial at Lewes Crown Court.

He denies two charges of causing death by dangerous driving and two lesser offences of causing death by careless driving while over the drink drive limit.

The court has heard the fatal crash happened on the night of September 24 last year outside the Black Dog pub, in Barnfield Road, Crawley.

Thangarajah had agreed to give four of his friends lifts to addresses in the Crawley area but changed his mind and decided to drive to his house in Boundary Road where his passengers would have to make their own way home.

He was only a short distance from his house when the accident happened.

The car shot on to the pavement, hit a tree and ploughed into a wall outside the pub.

Thangarajah, a Sri Lankan who has been in the UK since 1996, escaped with minor injuries and a broken wrist. His front seat passenger, Sinnutrai Uthayan, also only suffered minor injuries.

However two of his back seat passengers, Tharmarajah Gnanarajah, 35, of Three Bridges, and Yappan Palini, 46, from London, died almost instantly.

A third back seat passenger, Maniyam Maniathanan, was seriously injured and only recently left hospital.

Speaking through an interpreter, Thangarajah wiped away tears as he told the jury he was not to blame for the accident.

He told the court he lost control when his friend Mr Gnanarajah, who had been drinking heavily, grabbed hold of the steering wheel.

He said Mr Gnanarajah was annoyed when Thangarajah told his passengers he was not going to drive them home and was trying to get the driver to change the direction of the car.

He said Mr Gnanarajah lent over and grabbed the steering wheel with both hands as he was turning into Boundary Road.

He said: "I saw his hands coming from behind the driver's seat and they were pulling the steering wheel to the left as I was turning to the right. He told me not to turn into my road and I should take the directions he is giving me.

"I was trying to straighten the car. He was pulling to the left when the car went on to the tree. After that I don't know what happened."

Thangarajah said he was not blaming Mr Gnanarajah for the crash. He said: "I am not saying it was anybody's fault."

He became upset when asked how the accident had affected him. He said: "I worked with them. They were like brothers."

Thangarajah denied the accident was caused by him driving too fast in the 30mph zone after having too much to drink.

The trial continues.