A lottery winner who allegedly killed a pensioner in a Christmas Day crash has told a court he took his eyes off the road to get his young son’s teddy bear.

Matthew Topham claimed he had been trying to stop the child “screaming like a burglar alarm”.

The 31-year-old, reported to be Britain’s youngest EuroMillions jackpot winner after scooping £45m in 2012, is accused of causing the death of Mary Jane Regler, 75, by dangerous driving in Lincolnshire.

Topham previously admitted causing death by careless driving before the start of his trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

The defendant described his actions as “terrible”, but said every time his child let out the “massive” scream it made him “crazy”.

Explaining how his two-year-old son had made him turn his back on the road, the defendant told a jury: “Initially, he just started a small whine as children do, and then just let out a massive scream and wouldn’t stop.

“Ever since our youngest was a baby, one of his traits was this scream. It was like someone had set off a burglar alarm and it made me crazy.”

Topham told the court how his eldest son had alerted him to the teddy being dropped on the floor, but he initially ignored it because he thought his youngest son had fallen asleep.

The court had heard Topham took his eyes off the road for “up to three seconds” before crashing his BMW into a Ford Fiesta driven by 78-year-old Rodney Regler in North Cockerington.

Topham said he had taken precautions before setting off from visiting his wife’s parents – including de-misting the windscreen and making sure the lights embedded into his Christmas jumper were turned off to avoid reflection.

After his lottery win, Topham said he had bought a collection of cars, a house for his wife’s parents, paid off mortgages for friends and family, and helped his dad retire from his work.

Addressing his reasons for pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving, he said: “I believe what I did was a careless act and it was wrong for me to turn around like that.

“And had I been of a reasonable mind I wouldn’t have done it.

“I can’t explain to myself why I did it.”

Topham, of Swinderby, Lincolnshire, denies causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The trial continues.

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