A COMPANY director who knocked down a former friend with his Bentley wept in court as he recalled his panic after also bumping the car into his mother.

Andrew Platts, 42, denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent to 6ft 5ins Arron Honzik outside his gated home in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire.

The 25-year-old suffered multiple broken bones and requires a wheelchair after being trapped under the Bentley in October 2016.

Mr Platts, of Pannierman Lane, Great Ayton, told Newcastle Crown Court he was in a state of panic after Mr Honzik told him in a foul-mouthed phone call that he was waiting for him outside his house, after the pair fell out over a Facebook post.

The defendant told the jury he received an initial call from “Honz” saying “Do you realise every f***er hates you” and that there was a WhatsApp group to poke fun at him.

He claimed Mr Honzik threatened to rape him and film it after he blocked the alleged victim on Facebook over a derogatory post about his son.

Mr Platts said: “I foolishly said ‘you know where I live’. I may have antagonised him.”

The businessman said he collected his sons and was driving home when he received a call saying: “I’m outside your house, I’m going to f****** batter you.”

Mr Platts told the jury he was relieved as he drove through his electronic gates and down his 180m long drive and could not see Mr Honzik.

But when he got to his house, he spotted his former friend’s Mercedes.

Mr Platts said he gestured for his mother to come out of his house and asked her to call the police as he feared there would be a fight.

Mr Honzik then walked towards the car, the defendant said, and his children started to scream.

Mr Honzik filmed the scene on his phone and approached the driver’s door, Mr Platts said.

“I panicked massively, the kids were screaming,” he said.

Mr Platts said he blocked Mr Honzik against a fence with his front wing, then reversed.

The defendant heard a thud and the children shouted “Nana” after he knocked his own mother down, he said.

Mr Platts said Mr Honzik shouted more abuse and laughed at what had happened.

With his next manoeuvre, Mr Platts accidentally put his car through a fence and knocked down Mr Honzik, he said.

Mr Platts wept in the dock as he recalled getting his children out of the car before he realised the vehicle had struck Mr Honzik.

He said: “I tried to pick the car up, I tried to pick the wheel arch up.

“I said to call the police, an ambulance and the fire brigade in that order.”

Simon Bickler, defending, said: “It may be suggested that you deliberately drove your car at Mr Honzik intending to hurt him seriously. Is that what happened?”

His client replied: “No, that is not correct.”

The trial continues.