A man accused of trying to murder three children in a car crash on a Norfolk road told police he loved himself and would never want to hurt either himself or anyone else.
Tancredo Bankhardt, 41, is on trial charged with three counts of attempted murder following the crash on the A146 between Loddon and Hales last September.
Norwich Crown Court has heard he was thought to be driving his Vauxhall Astra at 74mph at the time of the collision, on a road with a 60mph limit.
Bankhardt is also said to have "ensured" neither he nor his young passengers - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - had been wearing seatbelts.
On Wednesday (May 6) in the second day of his defence, the jury of 10 men and two women were read extracts from interviews Bankhardt had with police following his arrest after the crash.
The court heard a prepared statement made by Bankhardt in which he said "I love myself" and would "never hurt myself" or anyone else.
Simon Spence KC, defending, asked if that was true.
"Yes," said Bankhardt.
Later in the prepared statement, Bankhardt said he "had an accident" adding "the accident was not intentional".
Mr Spence asked "is all that true?"
Again, Bankhardt said: "Yes."
In the course of the statement Bankhardt went into say he would never intentionally hurt anyone.
"It makes me very sad to think people were hurt," the defendant said in his statement.
Mr Spence asked if that was true.
"Yes, of course," said Bankhardt.
He said he could not remember leaving a woman a message stating "see you in the next life" in the lead up to the crash.
Asked by Mr Spence whether he had asked the young passengers not to wear their seatbelts in order to "maximise" the injuries they might suffer, Bankhardt said: "No, never."
Mr Spence asked Bankardt - who became very emotional at points during his evidence - whether he drove into oncoming traffic to cause a crash.
"No, I would never do that," he said.
Mr Spence asked whether he crashed intending to kill himself and the children.
"No, I have no reason to do that."
Bankhardt, of Saxon Road, Great Yarmouth, also faces three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and also dangerous driving.
He has denied all charges.
The trial continues.
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