A husband accused of murdering his wife in a deliberate car crash, claims his leg went into a "spasm" causing him to smash into a tree, a jury heard.
Sally Marie Lawrence, 47, was allegedly going through an acrimonious divorce with former airline pilot, Iain Philip Lawrence (53) at the time.
They argued the night before she died about finances and the equity in the matrimonial home, it was claimed.
She suffered fatal head and chest injuries in the front passenger seat of her husband's Peugeot 406.
The crash happened in Gartree Road, Oadby, at about 6.30pm on October 6.
Leicester Crown Court was told Lawrence claimed to have "total amnesia" in the aftermath, but later recovered his memory.
During an appointment with consultant neurologist, Professor Nicos Evangelou, on February 23, the defendant described how he and his wife were "talking" during the journey. About 25 seconds before the accident his leg started to twinge. He claimed his leg went into a spasm.
Mark Wall, defence counsel, told the jury Lawrence told the professor: "He couldn't do anything. His leg almost became frozen and he couldn't avoid the tree."
Lawrence, of Ring Road, Oadby, denies murder.
The court heard Mrs Lawrence and the defendant had a young son, who was away on a school trip at the time.
She also had two grown-up daughters from a previous marriage.
Pc Tim O'Donnell, collision investigator, said he attended the scene at 7.13pm and examined the vehicle. He said most of the damage was to the front passenger side, with only minor damage to the driver's side.
The vehicle was in fifth gear and the speedometer needle was stuck at 54mph. He said the vehicle damage was consistent with a 50mph crash and there was no evidence of emergency braking prior to the collision.
Examination of friction marks on the seat belts indicated Mrs Lawrence was not properly wearing a seat belt but the defendant was, he claimed. His airbag had deployed and hers had not.
There were no mechanical faults with the airbag system and the car had no defects contributing to the collision.
Police video footage retracing the route to the scene, between Stoughton Road heading towards Leicester Airport, was shown in court. Pc O'Donnell was shown carrying out a series of test drives in the same make of car.
He attempted to recreate the effects of a leg spasm while driving, by suddenly forcing his foot on the accelerator.
The officer was able to negotiate a slight left bend past the collision-tree on his right, at up to 70mph, without affecting the stability of the vehicle.
Pc O'Donnell said the Peugeot must have made a right turn before following "a straight path into the tree".
Earlier, Nirmal Shant QC, prosecuting, said: "It's clear Mrs Lawrence was afraid of the defendant and, most importantly, she wouldn't have got into a vehicle with him."
Mrs Lawrence was the managing director of a firm, Clear Spill, in Oadby. She allegedly told her boss, Herbert Boulting, of the marriage break-up.
He told the jury yesterday: "She was very, very frightened of her husband and what he might do to her."
He said there was "no way" she would have got in his car.
Under cross-examination he said he had "no idea" she had begun a new relationship. The court heard Mrs Lawrence had planned to meet her new boyfriend on the night she died.
The trial continues.
