A taxi driver who was not wearing his glasses thought he hit a sheep when he crashed into a young man and left him for dead, a court heard.

Abul Hussain hit Jack Brandon, 22, after dropping passengers off in Hassocks, Brighton Magistrates Court heard this morning.

Mr Brandon was walking home after a friend’s wedding reception when he was struck by Hussain in New Road near Ditchling at 12.47am on July 3 last year.

CCTV showed that Hussain, 55, was not wearing his glasses while driving down the 60mph road and had already driven past Mr Brandon 90 seconds before.

The Argus: Jack Brandon, from Hassocks, died at the sceneJack Brandon, from Hassocks, died at the scene

Hussain thought he had hit a “sheep or deer” and drove back to his home in Stapley Road, Hove, without stopping at the scene.

The father-to-be was found dead at the side of the road at 11am that day.

Hussain's Peugeot Horizon was found in his driveway three days after the crash with damage to the passenger side headlight, windscreen and wing mirror.

The court heard that Hussain, now of Downside in Shoreham, could only read a number plate 4.9 metres away without his glasses, a quarter of the 20 metres required by the DVLA.

Piers Restell, prosecuting, said: “The defendant has already passed Mr Brandon and 90 seconds later returns after dropping off a fare up the road.

“Most probably the collision would have occurred even if the defendant were to have had glasses.

“With better vision, the driver would have been able to identify Mr Brandon and not think it was a sheep or deer.

“It is clear that they will be able to see that Mr Brandon was a person.”

Hussain was charged with failing to stop, failing to report an accident and alternative charges of dangerous and careless driving.

He denies the charges at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.

The trial continues.