Champion car racer, 26, 'killed cyclist after losing control on roundabout while speaking on his mobile phone to his girlfriend'

Frank Wrathall denies causing the death of father-of-one Paul Fingleton

The driver, 26, was talking on his phone while driving his van, it was heard

Mr Fingleton died from injuries to his head and spine



Accused: BTCC driver is alleged to have killed a cyclist as he drove a van while talking to his girlfriend on his mobile phone

A championship motor racing driver knocked down and killed a cyclist while he was talking to his girlfriend on his mobile phone, a court heard today.

Frank Wrathall, 26, was chatting to model Zara Watt for almost eight minutes with one hand on the steering wheel before his van was involved in a collision with victim Paul Fingleton on a roundabout, it was said.

The British Touring Car Championship driver, of Barnacre, Lancashire, denies causing the death of the 47-year-old father-of-one by dangerous driving at Preston Crown Court.



Opening the trial, Francis McEntee, prosecuting, said Wrathall was on his mobile phone at the time of the fatal collision at Broughton roundabout on the A6 near Preston on May 14 last year.



The Citroen van he was driving did not have any Bluetooth and there was no facility for hands-free calling.



At the time of the collision, Mr Fingleton, 47, from Fulwood, was cycling home from Goosnargh Tennis Club, where he had been with his wife Anne and daughter Hannah.



But as he cycled past the entrance to the motorway sliproad, heading northbound, he was involved in a collision with the van, suffering injuries to his head and spine.



He was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where medical staff worked for several hours to try to save his life but Mr Fingleton died from his injuries.



Mr McEntee said: 'CCTV evidence is patently clear - the defendant came up from behind Mr Fingleton, overtook him and cut across him, causing the collision.



'The prosecution can say with a degree of confidence that the defendant was clearly unaware of Mr Fingleton’s presence.'



Wrathall was arrested and told police Mr Fingleton had run into the side of him.



Mr McEntee said: 'It was clearly a shock to the defendant when he saw CCTV showing Mr Fingleton entering onto the roundabout first.'



An automatic number plate recognition camera, situated on the M55 above the junction, showed Wrathall using his phone as he approached the sliproad.



Loss: Cyclist Paul Fingleton (left) died in the collision on a roundabout on the A6 near Preston on May 14 last year. Right, a Facebook picture of Zara Watt, the model girlfriend of Wrathall



Mobile phone bills also revealed a seven minute phone call to Miss Watt.



Mr McEntee said the defendant manouevred the large van, with his racing car being towed behind, onto the roundabout with just one hand on the steering wheel.



He said: 'The defendant could not safely manouevre his large vehicle while engaged in an ongoing conversation with his girlfriend.'

The defendant was chatting to model Zara Watt for almost eight minutes with one hand on the steering wheel before his van was involved in a collision with victim Paul Fingleton on a roundabout, it was claimed

Frank Wrathall celebrates following a race: After the driver was arrested he told police Mr Fingleton had run into the side of him

An automatic number plate recognition camera, situated on the M55 above the junction, showed Wrathall using his phone as he approached the sliproad

He added: 'You will be satisfied that the standard of driving that the defendant displayed was not simply careless, did not simply fall below the standard that would be expected of a competent and careful driver but that his standard of driving fell far below that standard and that you can properly be satisfied that his driving can be described as dangerous.'

PC David Horsfield, who has been an officer for 20 years, works for the accident investigation unit.

He told the court there was also a rubber mark on the side of the white Citroen van - which he suggested is from the end of the rubber handle of the bicycle.

The court heard that Wrathall was talking to Miss Watt when the accident took place. Phone records show there was a nearly eight minute conversation between the pair

'The mark suggests to me when they came together the cyclist must have been upright in the seat in a forward position. As a result of contact with him, he turned his handlebars to the left.



'A white iPhone was found in the foot well area on the driver’s side of the van which was seized.'



He added: 'There is a general consensus that driving and talking on the telephone do not mix. It causes distraction.

'Studies have shown that having a conversation on a phone is far worse than talking to a passenger.'