Last updated 19:44, Thursday, 10 April 2008

A WORKINGTON man crashed a car after driving at twice the legal speed limit despite pleas from his passenger to slow down, a court heard.

Bus driver Jason Borrowdale, 34, smashed into a wall after losing control of his MG while driving at up to 120mph between Great Clifton and Stainburn, it was alleged on Wednesday.

Passenger Phillip Forsyth was taken to hospital for treatment after the crash on Stainburn Road on September 2 last year.

Borrowdale, of King Street, Workington, has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving.

Alison Whalley, prosecuting, said: “The one main factor that made his driving dangerous was his speed.”

The court heard that Borrowdale had just taken his girlfriend Kelly Carruthers to her home in Green Garth, Great Clifton, and was returning with her brother, Mr Forsyth, towards Workington.

The passenger was worried about the speed. Mr Forsyth later told police he felt the car go up on to two wheels near the Middle Moor service station. Then, he said, as the car speeded up to about 120mph he told Borrowdale to slow down.

Shortly before the eventual crash, he said, the car flew off the ground altogether and Borrowdale lost control.

Ms Whalley said that Borrowdale told police at the scene that he had not being going more than 50mph when he hit a bump and bounced off the road.

But when interviewed nine days later he said he had lost control after being dazzled by the lights of an oncoming car.

The trial at Carlisle Crown Court continues.