Death crash trial: 'I wasn't unfit through drugs. I made an error', says Porsche 911 driver Robert Beach

A PORSCHE driver who killed his friend in a car crash has claimed he was not unfit to drive after taking drugs.

Robert Andrew Beach, 36, was driving his Porsche 911 Carrera when he crashed in Hessle, killing passenger and friend Marc Putnam.

Beach told a jury at Hull Crown Court he took Class C drug Phenazepam daily to help him sleep due to stress but claims the crash was caused by his speed and driver error rather than drugs.

He said: "I was going too fast and I accept I am criminally responsible for his death.

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"I made a driver error which resulted in a dreadful accident and a terrible loss of life."

Beach accepted Phenaze- pam was in his system and he was a regular user.

He said: "I would take it to get to sleep.

"I was not unfit through drugs. I made a stupid driver error."

Beach claimed he last took the drug two days before the crash because he had run out and had been taking them for three months leading up to the accident.

Beach claimed he lied to the police about taking the drug because he was "scared" as it is an illegal drug.

Under cross-examination, prosecutor David Bradshaw said: "More scared than being responsible for the death of this man? Taking a few tablets pales into insignificance against that, unless you knew and realised that was the real reason why this accident happened, because you were not fit to control this vehicle."

Mr Putnam, 30, of Hessle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Beach broke his back in four places, fractured all his ribs on the left of his body, ruptured his spleen and punctured his lung.

He was put in an induced coma for eight days and spent three months in hospital.

Beach is alleged to have been driving at speeds of up to 50mph on the 30mph stretch after negotiating the roundabout.

Beach, of Thoresby Street, west Hull, denies causing death by careless driving while unfit through drugs on January 26 last year and the trial continues.