A civilian police worker accused of attempting to kill his wife and her lover told a jury he drove into them by accident.

Stephen White, 34, said when he spotted the couple by chance walking hand-in-hand along a road in Crawley he intended to drive on to the pavement to confront them.

But the manoeuvre went wrong and he ended up hitting his wife, Tracy, who was thrown up in the air and landed in bushes by the side of the road.

He feared he had killed her and then decided to take his own life by driving into a brick wall. After his red Rover crashed without injuring him, he fled the scene and went to the home he had shared with his wife in Beechy Road, where he planned to slash his throat.

White, who was a Metropolitan Police community support officer, struggled to remain composed during the two hours he spent in the witness box on the third day of the trial at Lewes Crown Court.

He wiped away tears as he told the jury he had had no intention of killing his wife or her lover Martin Buck.

The prosecution has alleged White deliberately drove at the couple in Creasy's Drive on the evening of June 27 last year.

Mrs White was hit while Mr Buck, a former friend of White's, rolled over the bonnet.

White allegedly chased after after Mr Buck screaming before getting back into the car and driving again at his love rival.

Mrs White, who is getting divorced, and Mr Buck escaped serious injury.

White has denied attempting to murder his wife and two charges of attempting to murder Mr Buck. He also denies attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to the couple and a charge of dangerous driving.

The trial continues.