A MAN accused of driving dangerously and causing a crash that killed a Tamworth woman last year has apologised to her family on the final day of his trial.
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Chris McKinney is accused of being behind the wheel of a car when it crossed to the wrong side of the New England Highway in February 2019 and slammed head-on into an oncoming car, claiming the life of Linda Varley.
McKinney used his closing address on Wednesday to say sorry to her family, who were sitting in Tamworth District Court during the three-day trial.
"All I'd like to say is to the victim's family, is how sorry I am about what happened," McKinney told the court.
"I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to Linda Varley's family for the accident ... I wish it could be undone, but it can't, and that's it."
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The judge-only trial wrapped up on Wednesday afternoon, and Judge Mark Marian has retired to consider his verdict, which is expected to be handed down on Friday.
McKinney represented himself in the trial, and it was originally set down to run for two weeks. McKinney told the court he would not be calling on any witnesses or tendering any evidence.
"My case is that I don't remember anything, so I cannot get up there and swear on the bible that I will get up there and give an accurate account of what happened," McKinney said.
Prosecutor Matt Coates closed the Crown case against McKinney, after calling on another medical expert.
Dr Jonah Taylor appeared via AVL from Newcastle, where he was McKinney's treating doctor at John Hunter Hospital, after the accused was flown there from Tamworth hospital for medical care several hours after the car crash.
McKinney had indicated he believed he "may have blacked out" in the moments before the crash.
Dr Taylor told the court McKinney had periods of low blood pressure and multiple bouts of "lightheadedness" and "dizziness" while being treated in the hospital, but there was no record of him losing consciousness during an episode.
Mr Coates asked the doctor if any of McKinney's recorded complaints of dizziness were when he was sitting down or lying still.
"Not to my recollection of the notes," Dr Taylor replied.
Although McKinney's blood pressure was at the "lower end of the spectrum" during his treatment, and there were bouts of dizziness when changing positions, Dr Taylor said it was hard to put it down to one reason.
"It's difficult to say if Mr McKinney's hypotension was due to one particular factor, but his injuries, pain, dehydration and medication could all be causes of a patient's possible hypotension," he told the trial.
Dr Taylor said a prescription medication McKinney was taking at the time of the car crash was changed in the Newcastle hospital.
He told the court there were "no documented episodes of postural hypotenstion" when that prescription drug was stopped.
The Crown also called a crash investigator - who had given evidence on Monday - back to the stand.
Senior Constable Damien Murphy told the court McKinney had no other criminal offences on his record, and no traffic offences either.
In his closing address, Mr Coates said it was "speculative" that McKinney lost consciousness the morning of the crash, because "he can't remember it".
He said crossing to the wrong side of the road was "equally consistent" with inattention or distraction.
"Even after the collision, there is no evidence the accused lost consciousness either due to the medications he was on, or in combination with those other factors Dr Taylor considered," Mr Coates told the court.
Judge Marian is expected to deliver his judgement on Friday.