A lorry driver who stopped on the busy A34 to make a mobile phone call denies causing death by dangerous driving.

Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday how on December 14, 2004, Richard Brown parked his vehicle on the inside lane of the dual carriageway, about 500m from the slip road for the Botley interchange, to phone for directions.

Prosecutor Nicholas Syfret said another lorry driver, Peter Smith, failed to see Brown's lorry and ploughed into it at about 56mph, knocking it off the side of the road.

Mr Smith's lorry then tipped over across both lanes before, seconds later, 46-year-old John Kilty, of Consett, County Durham, crashed his car transporter into it.

Mr Kilty was taken to the John Radcliffe hospital, before being transferred to a hospital in Durham, where he later died.

Brown, 55, of Seaford, Cheshire, escaped with grazes and cuts to his head and leg. He has pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

In a police interview, read to the jury by Pc Michael Barratt, of Bicester Roads Policing Department, Brown admitted it was not a good place to park.

He had decided to use his hands-free phone to ask if he needed to take the Botley turning, despite being aware that he was not allowed to stop.

He told police: "It's not really safe, I admit that, but I knew I was only going to be a couple of minutes on the phone and then pulling off. Because I didn't know the area that well, I didn't want to go past the junction."

Brown, a driver for more than 30 years, told police he had started his journey delivering electrical goods from Crawley, West Sussex, shortly before 2am, having had about four hours' sleep previously. He claimed he was not tired and felt fine.

Brown said he had covered about 75 miles when the accident happened at 4.38am.

Adrian Redgrave, defending, told the jury: "The position where Mr Brown stopped his vehicle was really as far into the nearside of the carriageway as it could go."

The crash left roads around Oxford gridlocked for 12 hours.

The case continues.