A HIGH speed race on the A449 caused the death of a Cwmbran motorcyclist, a jury in a death by dangerous driving trial was told today.

Vincent Hamlyn, 33, of Sedbury Hill, Tutshill near Chepstow, has pleaded not guilty to causing the death of Kevin Morgan by dangerous driving on June 21 last year.

Mr Morgan, 60, from Cwmbran, died at the scene of the collision with a black BMW Z4 on the A449 outside Newport. He had been riding his white Kawasaki motorbike at the time.

The trial of Hamlyn is taking place at Cardiff Crown Court, where the prosecution outlined their case today.

Mr Morgan, a member of South Wales Superbikes, was on a 60-mile bike ride with his friend, Gregory Sweeting, from the Leeway Industrial Estate in Newport to Raglan, Abergavenny, Brecon and mid-Wales.

They had driven past the Coldra roundabout and had come to the set of traffic lights for the turn onto the A449 towards Monmouth, where there were three lanes.

In his witness statement, Mr Sweeting said that Mr Morgan had driven into the middle lane to the driver’s side of a black BMW, which Hamyln was driving.

He added that he heard Hamlyn’s engine “roar”, with the pair disappearing from view onto a right hand bend on the A449 when the lights went green.

Mr Sweeting heard a "loud bang" and when he caught up, he saw that Mr Morgan's crash helmet was scattered on the road.

Mr Morgan, who was lying on his left side, died at the scene.

The speed limit on the A449 is 40 miles per hour and Matthew Roberts, prosecuting, said that the prosecution and defence agree that both Hamyln and Mr Morgan were driving over that limit.

Mr Roberts said: “They were jostling for the best position on the road and racing with each other, with a degree of acceleration from the traffic lights.

“It was entirely avoidable and Mr Morgan would not have died but for the speed of both vehicles.”

The court heard how it had been a warm day, of around 18 degrees, and that the relevant roads were free from "surface defects".

Proceeding.