THE motorist at the centre of the Selby train disaster has previous motoring and criminal convictions, a jury heard this afternoon (Thursday).

Giving evidence in his own defence Gary Neil Hart, 37, revealed that the Wolds Magistrates fined him £300 for handling a stolen car tax disc and MOT certificate, fraudulently using the disc and altering the certificate in April 1994.

He also revealed that he has three speeding convictions when he received fixed penalty tickets in 1993, 1997 and 1998.

Wearing a dull olive green suit with a muted green and yellow tie, Hart was expressionless as he gave his account of what happened on the M62 at Great Heck on February 28.

Hart told the jury this afternoon (Thursday) he didn't usually have a problem going to sleep.

The prosecution alleged that he caused the Selby train disaster when he dozed off at the wheel of his Landrover on the M62 at Great Heck.

In cross examination he said that he had gone to his bedroom the previous afternoon, laid on his bed, and fallen asleep for about an hour.

In re-examination his barrister Edmund Lawson, QC, asked: "Had you taken a conscious decision to go to bed?"

He replied: "I didn't make a conscious decision to go to bed, I was in my bedroom, I laid on my bed and dropped asleep. I don't usually have a problem with going to sleep".

Hart, 37, of Strubby, Lincolnshire, denies ten charges of causing death by dangerous driving.

He revealed that on the night after the Selby train crash disaster his doctor gave him a sedative and referred him to a counsellor.

He had felt cold for about three days after the accident, and did not know its extent until 8.00 or 9.00pm on the day of the crash.

Prosecution counsellor James Goss QC, put to him that he had fallen asleep and was awoken by a bang as he hit the kerb or some trees.

"That's not true," said Hart.

"That's when you came to and things started going slowly in front of you," said Mr Goss.

"That's not true," said Hart.

He also said he had made a flask of Nescafe coffee with six spoonfuls of coffee powder and eight of sugar before leaving home at the start of the journey and had at least three drinks on the motorway stretch of his journey.

But he believed in total he had had no more than one cup of coffee.

He denied that he had wound the driver's window down fully to get cold fresh air in, and suggested he might have wound it down while trying to get out of the Landrover when it was on the railway line.

The jury has heard the window was fully wound down when police inspected it after the crash. Its sun roof was also partially open.

Hart said he had no idea why it was partially open.

The trial continues

Updated: 16:44 Thursday, December 06, 2001