Police officer's 'dangerous' driving

Sergeant Askew is a trained class one driver

A police sergeant hit a car at such speed while answering a 999 call that he caused the death of the other driver, a court has been told.

Sergeant Stephen Askew, 42, an officer with the Norfolk force, had his blue lights and siren on when he collided with the Ford Mondeo driven by David McDermott near Catfield, Norfolk, last November.

Mr McDermott, a 31-year-old welder from Catfield, died from his injuries the day after the crash.

Sgt Askew denies causing death by dangerous driving.

Damp road

A jury at Norwich Crown Court was told that the officer had overtaken a number of vehicles when the accident took place on the A149.

Mr McDermott's Vauxhall Calibra was turning right into a junction when the police car hit it, pushing it across the road and into a ditch, said Karim Khalil, prosecuting.

He said Mr McDermott was heading home after a night at work.

"Sergeant Askew pulled out into the single outside lane," said Mr Khalil.

"When he was later interviewed he said he did that deliberately with a view to going past the vehicles that were ahead of him after the junction.

"He knew because of his training that to overtake within the mouth of such a junction is dangerous.

Mr Askew was travelling at between 75 and 80mph at the time of impact, and the road was damp that morning, causing a glare for motorists as it reflected the sun, the court heard.

Askew, of Martham, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, was trained as a class one driver with the police, said Mr Khalil.

The case continues.