A driver who called himself the "drift king" while the song Tokyo Drift from one of the Fast and Furious movies played before his vehicle crashed into a tree, killing his 16-year-old girlfriend, has denied knowing what that moniker referred to.
Ameen Hamdan is facing trial in the ACT Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to culpable driving causing death and culpable driving causing grievous bodily harm.
The trial had heard that in the early hours of October 31 in 2020, Hamdan was driving a Nissan Navara that carried his girlfriend, 16-year-old Alexis Saaghy, in the front-passenger seat and two friends in the back seats.
Hamdan, 18 and a P-plater at the time, was driving along Longmore Crescent in Wanniassa in wet conditions as the group spent the night socialising.
Prosecutors allege that Hamdan, who was not intoxicated, was speeding at 81km/h-100km/h when the car started to slide on a left-hand bend before the vehicle collided with a tree.
All four occupants were injured with Alexis sustaining severe head trauma, including a fractured skull, and internal injuries.
She lost consciousness and was taken to the Canberra Hospital where she later died.
The court had been shown a video recorded by Alexis inside the vehicle in which the song Tokyo Drift played and the accused calling himself the "drift king".
On Thursday, the fourth day of trial, the accused was called to give evidence.
He said he could not remember the events on the day in question and that since the collision, he has had five surgeries to his left eye.
The court heard he is studying electronics and has seen doctors about a mild traumatic brain injury or cognitive dysfunction.
Prosecutor Soraya Saikal-Skea cross examined Hamdan about whether he has seen the 2006 movie The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift, which is the third release in the Fast and Furious movie franchise.
Hamdan denied having seen that movie, but admitted to seeing the later ones.
He said "I don't remember, I don't know" in relation to whether he knew "drift king" referred to a character in the 2006 movie.
He also gave a similar answer in response to the possibility that he saw the movie previously and referred to it in Alexis' video.
The prosecutor also asked him if it were possible at the time of the video, when he said "Ameen Hamdan the drift king", that he were drifting in the Navara.
The accused said "I don't remember".
He also said that while he was still friends with the two passengers who survived, they "haven't talked for a long time".
On Monday, one of the passengers told the court that Hamdan "would've been maybe doing drifts" before the video but not on Longmore Crescent.
The court has also heard from two collision experts who disagreed about speed and other scientific aspects related to the collision sequence.
Hamdan faces the back-up charges of negligent driving causing death and negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm.
Closing statements are expected on Friday.
