A TEENAGE motorist was this week convicted of causing the death of another young man who was a passenger in a car he was racing.

Daniel Burke was told by a Liverpool Crown Court judge that he and the driver of the other car face custodial sentences.

"It is an absolute tragedy that out of this incident of racing one young man has lost his life and two young men are likely to go to prison," said Judge Bryn Holloway.

The jury took less than two hours to find 19-year-old Burke, of Grosvenor Road, New Brighton, guilty. He was further remanded on bail to await sentence later this month.

The other driver, John Coulson, also 19, of Marlowe Road, Wallasey, who pleaded guilty to the same charge earlier this year, is to be sentenced on the same date.

The jury had heard that front-seat passenger Barry Whittle, 21, was fatally injured when Coulson's red Astra lost control on Rowson Street near the junction with St James Road, New Brighton, and ploughed into a lamp-post.

Mark Brown, prosecuting, said that Burke, who was also in a red Astra, had been racing his friend Coulson and they were driving close at speed.

Burke, a labourer, denied that he had been racing Coulson, who was unqualified and over the legal driving limit. He said when he reached Stroud's Corner while on his way home shortly before 10pm on September 8 he saw Coulson's car, which has a distinctive blue exhaust, in front.

Burke said he was travelling at about 25 mph and Coulson's car was pulling away. He denied tail-gating or racing Coulson.

A woman motorist told the court that two red Astras overtook her just before the crash but Burke denied overtaking her. He also denied speeding and said he was doing about 30 mph when he reached the bend and slowed as he knew it was tricky.

Further cross-examined by Mark Brown, prosecuting, Burke denied that he had been only eight to ten feet behind Coulson. He said he saw the car wobble and hit the curb, but denied that Coulson's loss of control had anything to do with him.

Burke agreed that he had not offered himself to police at the scene as a witness but denied that was because he was involved. He said that he had been shocked and just wanted to go home to bed.

He said that after the crash he stopped, helped Mr Coulson from the other car and, when he realised Mr Whittle, of Rice Lane, Wallasey, who was also a friend, and back passenger Lee Walsh were trapped, he used his mobile phone to call for help.

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