Jurors in the trial of a teenage car thief accused of using a stolen pick-up truck as a weapon to murder a Wirral policeman will resume their deliberations today.
Clayton Williams, 19, allegedly drove at Pc Dave Phillips, 34, in a "cowardly and merciless act" giving him "no chance" as he mowed down the officer while behind the wheel of the Mitsubishi truck, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Mr Justice William Davis told the jury of nine women and three men they can consider an alternative verdict of manslaughter to murder, if they find Williams did drive at the officer but did not intend to kill or cause him serious harm.
Williams, who was out on licence from jail after crashing into a lamppost in another police pursuit, denies murder, telling the jury he had no intention of hitting the officer and only saw him seconds before impact.
Pc Phillips, a father of two, was deploying a 'stop stick' or stinger device to puncture the stolen vehicle's wheels when he was hit by the truck at around 50mph on Wallasey Dock Link Road, in the early hours of October 5 last year.
The officer died almost instantly from "catastrophic" injuries.
Williams, of Wallasey, had stolen the vehicle in a burglary in nearby Birkenhead earlier the same evening, before taking police on an 80mph pursuit.
He admits the burglary and aggravated vehicle taking but denies the murder charge.
Williams, who said he has used cannabis since the age of six and had been out of jail just three weeks, told the jury he fled police because he did not want to go back behind bars - and just wanted to evade capture, not hurt anyone.
Pc Phillips' widow, Jen, and extended family have attended each day of the trial, now in its second week.
Judge Davis told the jury they must approach the evidence in a cool, rational and objective assessment of the evidence.
He added: "This case is probably more highly charged than most. This was a shocking event."
A second man, Philip Stuart, 30, the passenger in the car with Williams, has admitted burglary and aggravated vehicle-taking, by being allowed to be carried in the Mitsubishi.
Williams also denies attempted grievous bodily harm with intent to Pc Thomas Birkett, 23, who was with Pc Phillips, but dived out of the way of the Mitsubishi.
The jury was sent home yesterday afternoon and will return to continue their deliberations this morning.
