Murder accused 'traumatised' by deaf woman's death

"I had no intention to cause any harm. I'm still traumatised by the fact she passed away. I've not stopped thinking about it."

"A 'stupid argument' broke out between her and two other women which 'escalated into a brawl' in the car. Owusu claimed Mukhtar had pulled one of the women's hair and threatened to 'stab' and 'kill' someone."

"He told jurors that he took the victim's phone and threw it out of the window in an attempt to eject Mukhtar from the car. In CCTV shown to jurors she could be seen sitting on the pavement."

Duane Owusu, 36, stands accused of murdering 27-year-old Zahwa Mukhtar by striking her in the neck and leaving her to die on the street on August 16. Owusu denies both murder and manslaughter charges. He testified that he only pushed Mukhtar to keep her from re-entering an overcrowded Mercedes after a fight broke out inside the vehicle. The incident occurred after Owusu and friends attended a rave in Hackney where they met Mukhtar. During the drive to Dagenham, an argument between Mukhtar and two other women escalated into a physical altercation. Owusu claimed he threw her phone out the window to eject her from the car, stating he intended no harm and remains traumatized by her death.

Read at www.bbc.com