A lorry driver today apologised to the family of a much-loved Hythe dad, who he killed by driving his lorry dangerously.

Velichko Petkov had pleaded guilty to causing the death of 53-year-old Kerry Hearn in November last year.

Father-of-three Mr Hearn, of Frampton Road, was on his way to work at Nusteel Structures in Lympne along the A20 when his car was hit by a lorry driving on the wrong side of the road.

His father and two of his daughters sat in the public gallery at Canterbury Crown Court to hear the guilty plea, entered through a Bulgarian interpreter.

Petkov, 43, stood in the dock as his barrister Elizabeth Wheeler told the victim’s family: “I hope the judge doesn’t think it inappropriate, but Mr Petkov knows the family is in court.

“He wishes to convey his apologies and fully recognises the devastating effect this has had on their lives.”

"We all miss him so much. They really broke the mould when they made him..." - Kerry Hearn's daughter Natasha

Mr Hearn was a keen singer of folk songs and sea shanties and had toured Germany, France and Belgium with his band Quidnunc.

His daughter, Natasha said after the hearing: “He was the best dad anyone could ever have wanted and was so loved by his family, including partner, Amanda, children, Natasha, Frankie and Stephen, his sister Beverly and his four grandchildren.

“We all miss him so much. They really broke the mould when they made him."

His father Michael added: “My wife Brenda and I loved him so much.

“He had so many friends that he met through his singing from all around the country and many of them came to his funeral at Barham and many had to wait outside.”

The family says Mr Hearn also had a loving sister, Beverly Nicholl.

A special memorial concert in his honour will be held this Saturday at Dungeness RNLI station – a cause Mr Hearn supported for many years.

A non-jury trial will be held in June after the prosecution refused to accept Petkov’s account of how the crash happened.

Ms Wheeler said the 22-metre long lorry had left the airport cafe at Newingreen and had travelled just 450 metres before it struck Mr Hearn’s vehicle.

He said: “The distance travelled was very short, although he accepts that he was on the wrong side of the road at the time. That was fully his mistake.

“As he came out of the cafe he swung right, then drives on the left hand side for a short period, sees some headlights and then moves into the right hand lane.

“That all happens terribly quickly and he is a foreign driver.”

But Martin Yale, prosecuting, said the accident happened near a bend and the Crown didn’t accept the driving on the wrong side was caused by headlights.

Petkov looked stunned when Judge Adele Williams told him he would now be remanded in custody until the next hearing when he will be sentenced.

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