A motorist is no longer facing a charge of causing the death of a former university lecturer who later died in hospital from Covid.

Retired Christopher Pack, 69, was struck near his home in Milton Street, Maidstone, on December 29 last year.

He suffered a fractured right femur and was taken to hospital, where he had been for three weeks before contracting coronavirus. He died a week later.

He was hit by Smail Afafsa, 54, who lived in Bazalgette Rise, a few hundred yards from where Mr Pack was injured.

Prosecutor Victoria McGrady previously told Maidstone Magistrates' Court at about 1.15pm that day, Afafsa came out of Bazalgette Rise and drove his Ford Focus the wrong way along Milton Street, a one-way road, striking Mr Pack, and failing to stop.

He faced a charge of causing his death by dangerous driving but his lawyer argued Mr Pack's death was not as a direct result of his injuries.

Yesterday at Maidstone Crown Court the charge was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service and Afafsa pleaded not guilty to the lesser count of causing Mr Pack serious injury by driving dangerously.

He spoke through an Algerian interpreter to confirm his name but was able to enter his plea in English.

He will now face a trial, which is expected to last up to five days, on October 24 next year.

Defence counsel Sam Thomas told Judge Philip Statman that the defence will be that the defendant will say he wasn't driving dangerously.

Afafsa also faces a charge of failing to stop after an accident, which he denies. That will be heard following trial.

Mr Pack had lived in Milton Street since the 1970s.

He was a retired senior lecturer at the University of Kent, where he had been the social work course leader.

His widow, Barbara, described Mr Pack as happy in his retirement. He loved his home and garden and always kept busy, being skilled at all things DIY

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