A MOTORIST caused the death of another driver by taking part in a fatal race along Newport’s Southern Distributor Road which witnesses said reached speeds of up to 100 miles an hour, a jury has been told.

Joseph Cairns, aged 24, of Dewstow Street in Newport, denies causing the death of 22-year-old Jordan Bolt on September 15, 2013, by driving dangerously.

Prosecutor Roger Griffiths told the jury at Newport Crown Court yesterday that both the deceased and the defendant had been racing against each other along the SDR before Mr Bolt crashed into and over a roundabout in Alway near Balfe Road.

Mr Griffiths said: “The deceased was driving a white Audi S3 and the defendant a Subaru Impreza. They were driving at vastly excessive speeds towards that roundabout.”

Mr Bolt then lost control of his car and died instantly of “catastrophic” head injuries, Mr Griffiths added.

Mr Bolt’s girlfriend was in the passenger seat at the time of the crash and was later taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital with her injuries.

Giving evidence in court yesterday, Michael Earl said he was driving his BMW 3 series estate along the SDR when he noticed two sets of headlights coming behind him.

Mr Earl said: “They both caught up with me pretty quickly. I might have said [to my wife] something along the lines of ‘look at these two having a go’.”

He estimated the cars were travelling at speeds of “90 to 100 miles an hour” and were the “length of my car apart”.

Mr Earl said both cars drove past him and accelerated out of sight.

Heidi Earl, who was sat beside her husband, told the court the Audi was airborne as they approached the roundabout, before it crashed on the other side.

She said: “I could see the white Audi going up in the air. I started screaming hysterically.

“I was all over the place [in the days after the incident], constantly crying.”

Mrs Earl told the jury she believed the cars had been racing.

The court heard how Cairns failed to stop and carried on driving towards Llanwern. He would later tell police during interview that he was “too frightened” to stop at the time, the court heard.

The jury also heard evidence from PCSOs Richard Harris and Eve Weston who were on duty walking along the SDR earlier that day.

PCSO Harris recalled seeing a blue Subaru Impreza being driven “far, far in excess” of the road’s 50mph speed limit, only hours before the fatal incident took place.

The court heard how Cairns did have a driving licence but had it revoked in February 2012 because the licence had not been submitted to the DVLA for endorsement.

The jury was also told that Cairns was not insured to drive the Subaru, although he told police he believed his father had temporarily insured him at the time.

Cairns has pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, and two lesser counts of causing death by driving while unlicensed, and while uninsured.

Proceeding.