Neston teacher David Morton has been cleared of causing the death of an elderly motorist by careless driving.

A jury took just an hour to find David Morton not guilty of the offence and he was discharged from the dock at Liverpool Crown Court.

It had been alleged that Morton, 32, had been careless in pulling out in front of 85-year-old Frederick Hazelgreaves who was driving along Barnston Road, Heswall.

Mr Hazelgreaves’ blue Kia Picanto crashed into the driver’s side of Morton’s black Vauxhall Astra after he pulled out of a side street, Milner Road, to turn right after picking his teacher partner up from her primary school.

Mr Hazlegreaves suffered 11 fractured ribs and a broken sternum in the impact at teatime on April 27 last year and died 11 days later from complications.

Morton, of Arden Drive, Neston, told the jury that he believed the other driver was going to turn left as his left indicator was flashing and as the vehicle was going along at 25 - 30 mph it was gradually veering to the left side of the carriageway.

The court heard that a woman driver waiting to turn into the same side road from the opposite direction confirmed that the indicator was flashing, as did a mechanical engineer who later examined the badly damaged Kia, said Gerald Baxter, prosecuting.

He claimed that Morton should not have pulled out until he had made sure it was safe to do so. In a statement from hospital the victim said he had not been slowing down and had had no intention of turning left.

Morton told the jury that he waited at the junction after the two cars in front had moved off and he repeatedly checked right and left and saw the Kia approaching from his right.

“It appeared to be fairly central on the carriageway but was gradually veering to the left. It was doing about 25 - 30 mph. I believed at the speed it was doing and the positioning to the left side and the indicator on that it was turning left.”

Morton said that he began gradually easing his automatic car out and when the bonnet and his door were out onto the main road the collision happened.

Questioned by his barrister Tom Watson, he said there was “no chance” that he would have pulled out if he had not thought the Kia was turning left.

He added: “I would not do anything to put my partner at risk.”

Morton, who was taken to hospital with minor injuries after the crash, said that he has no convictions of any sort and was sorry for what had happened to Mr Hazelgreaves.

Mr Baxter suggested to him: “You made a mistake.”

He replied: “In hindsight I did but then I believed it was safe.”