Driver who saw death crash denies pair were racing

Shaun Bastow told a jury at Leeds Crown Court yesterday he saw Joshua Wraith accelerating ahead of him in Ackton Lane, Featherstone, but he was not trying to catch him up.

As he went round a bend he saw "the back end of his car and it seemed to veer off to the other side of the road".

He told the court: "In my head it all seemed to happen in a flash. He was just sideways and he must have slid for some distance and he's just collided with the other car."

The jury has heard one of Wraith's passengers, Amy Louise Walker, 17, was killed when he crashed his red MG car into an oncoming Peugeot.

Richard Baradell, defending Bastow, asked him: "Were you racing him on that stretch?"

"No" he replied. "It is not something I'd do, no reason to."

Bastow, 24 of Wakefield Road, Normanton, Wakefield, denies causing the death of Miss Walker, of Queensway, Pontefract, by dangerous driving on September 13 last year. Wraith has already admitted a similar charge and is awaiting sentence.

The prosecution claims that although Bastow's vehicle was not involved in the collision, his driving was a contributory factor in the death, falling far below the standard expected of a "competent and careful driver".

Bastow told the court he joined others that evening enjoying a "cruise" in the car park at Morrisons in Pontefract.

Some people were kicking a football around and he saw Wraith perform a series of handbrake turns "and speeding up and down the barriers that divided the car park".

Mr Baradell asked if it made him want to show others he could do better. "No, not in any way, I didn't even get in the car," he replied

Bastow said there came a time when a number of those present decided to go to Wakefield and set off in a convoy of vehicles.

He was cautious in Park Lane where there were speed humps because his VW Golf GTI had modified alloys and he did not want to damage them but accelerated to overtake some vehicles in the straight section reaching 50-60mph where he considered it safe.

He noticed two cars reaching higher speeds accelerating ahead, one was the red MG which he caught up to at lights in North Featherstone, when the car in front of Wraith slowed to turn off.

He said Wraith then continued ahead of him pulling away until the accident.

"The prosecution case is that you were perilously close to the MG, pushing it, racing it, is that true," asked Mr Baradell.

"No, that's not true," replied Bastow, who denied under cross-examination by Richard Clews, prosecuting, that he had taken a hand gesture from Wraith at the lights as an invitation to "get your foot down".

The hearing continues.