The trial of the man who killed one person after ramming his car into a crowd of counter protesters last year at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia has begun, with prosecutors telling jurors the accused had every intention of causing harm when he slammed down on his car’s accelerator.

“It was willful, premeditated murder,” Nina Alice-Antony, the prosecutor said of 21-year-old James Fields.

Mr. Fields faces charges of first-degree murder, malicious wounding, and failure to stop at an accident involving a death. He has pleaded not guilty. The defendent has also been charged in federal court on hate crime charges, in which the death penalty could be imposed.

Mr Fields’ attorney claimed his client feared for his life in the moments that led up to the death of Heather Heyer last August in an incident that sent shock waves around the country and sparked a national debate about white supremacist groups in the US.

“You will hear James tell officers he feared for his safety,” John Hill said. Mr Fields told officers he had been fearful for his life before he accelerated into the crowd. “He was scared to death”.

Ms Heyer’s death capped two days of protests in Charlottesville last August, where hundreds of white supremacists descended to protest the planned removal of a Confederate statue from a public park as a part of the “Unite the Right” rally. Those demonstrations brought demonstrators who marched on the University of Virginia campus with lit tiki torches while shouting white supremacist and antisemitic chants.

Those demonstrations attracted a considerable counter-demonstration — a group that included 32-year-old Ms Heyer — who had congregated peacefully on a street when the driving attack took place, leaving Heyer dead alongside several others who were injured.

Charlottesville one year on Show all 15 1 /15 Charlottesville one year on Charlottesville one year on Mary Grace, from Durham, North Carolina, walks through the downtown mall area August 11, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville has been declared in a state of emergency by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam as the city braces for the one year anniversary of the deadly clash between white supremacist forces and counter protesters over the potential removal of Confederate statues of Robert E. Lee and Jackson. A "Unite the Right" rally featuring some of the same groups is planned for tomorrow in Washington, DC. Getty Charlottesville one year on Chris Jessee (R) hands out placards to people visiting downtown Charlottesville as the city marks the anniversary of last year's 'Unite the Right rally' in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, 11 August 2018. On 12 August 2017, a bloody clash between white supremacists and counterprotestors in Charlottesville left three people dead and dozens injured Getty Charlottesville one year on A member of the Virginia State Police waits outside the park where a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee is located August 11, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville has been declared in a state of emergency by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam as the city braces for the one year anniversary of a deadly clash between white supremacist forces and counter protesters over the potential removal of Confederate statues of Robert E. Lee and Jackson. A "Unite the Right" rally featuring some of the same groups is planned for tomorrow in Washington, DC Reuters Charlottesville one year on A woman displays a shirt ahead of the one-year anniversary of 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" protests, in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 10, 2018. Reuters Charlottesville one year on A sign reading "Strength, which was taken down at the request of police officers, hangs by the statue of Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee, ahead of the one-year anniversary of 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" protests, in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 10, 2018. Reuters Charlottesville one year on Law enforcement arrives ahead of the one year anniversary of 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" protests, in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 10, 2018 Reuters Charlottesville one year on A vendor displays wares on the mall as State Police lock down the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. The Governor has declared a state of emergency in Charlottesville AP Charlottesville one year on A Police bike patrol takes a break in the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. State and local authorities framed the weekend's heightened security as a necessary precaution. AP Charlottesville one year on State Police arrest a local resident, John Miska, in the locked down downtown area in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. Miska purchased razor blades, which are banned items, in a downtown drugstore. On the the anniversary of white supremacist violence, state and local authorities framed the weekend's heightened security as a necessary precaution. AP Charlottesville one year on State Police escort local resident, John Miska, red hat, after he was arrested in the locked down downtown area in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. Miska purchased razor blades, which are banned items, in a downtown drugstore. On the the anniversary of white supremacist violence, state and local authorities framed the weekend's heightened security as a necessary precaution. AP Charlottesville one year on A group Anti-fascism demonstrators, march in the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, AP Charlottesville one year on A group anti-fascism demonstrators march in the downtown area in anticipation of the anniversary of last year's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., AP Charlottesville one year on People receive first-aid after a car accident ran into a crowd of protesters in Charlottesville, VA on August 12, 2017. A vehicle plowed into a crowd of people Saturday at a Virginia rally where violence erupted between white nationalist demonstrators and counter-protesters, witnesses said, causing an unclear number of injuries AFP/Getty Charlottesville one year on Alt-right rally members in Lee Park in Charlottesville, VA on Saturday August 12, 2017 White nationalist 'Unite the Right' rally, Charlottesville, USA Rex Charlottesville one year on A counter protester who got hit with a stick by alt-right member covered with blood on his face in Lee Park in Charlottesville, Rex

President Donald Trump was heavily criticised for his response to the violence after he said there were “very fine people on both sides,” seemingly equating the white nationalists with those who demonstrated against them.

In a series of statements, the president changed his tune over the span of several days before suggesting during a press conference that removing Confederate statues may not be prudent because doing so would mark precedent for removing statues of non-Confederate historical figures, including American founding fathers.

Those remarks left enough a mark on the grieving mother of Ms Heyer, Susan Bro, who refused to return phone calls from the White House after the president’s remarks.

While the events in Charlottesville shocked the US, the so-called “alt-right” movement that rallied the white supremacists last year appears to have lost steam. On the year anniversary of the rally, in August, just dozens of white supremacists turned up at an anniversary rally in Washington to mark the occasion.

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Fields’ case is being heard by a jury of nine women and seven men. One African-American juror is on the bench. The trial is expected to last roughly three weeks.