Driver, 23, denies causing friend's death in car chase

A man accused of causing the death of his best friend in a car chase on a Cornish road at high speed told a jury the pair were not racing.

Nathan Kingcome, 23, a self-employed landscape gardener, denies one count of causing the death of 20-year-old Michael Vercoe by dangerous driving.

Mr Vercoe of St Stephen, near St Austell, died when his red Peugeot 306 spun out of control and ploughed into a wall.

Kingcome was driving behind him in a blue BMW 3 Series on the A3059 near St Columb Major, Newquay, on May 11 last year.

Kingcome, of Terras Road, St Stephen, and Mr Vercoe were driving to a friend’s house when the accident happened at around 9.15pm.

Witnesses had already told Truro Crown Court the two cars were travelling very close to each other at speeds of up to 90mph along the stretch like some sort of “police pursuit”.

The road has a 60mph limit – the accident happened on a slight bend in the road.

Yesterday, on the third day of the trial, Kingcome gave evidence.

He said he had been a driver for five years, was of previous good character with no previous convictions or cautions and had a clean driving licence.

Kingcome said he had had the car for six weeks prior to the incident.

Earlier in the trial witnesses told the court that prior to the accident Mr Vercoe and Kingcome had been at a nearby McDonalds store where the latter had performed wheel spins as he drove out of the car park.

Rupert Taylor, defending, asked Kingcome if he had been driving in an “aggressive, antisocial way” that night and he replied that he had not.

He also denied he and Mr Vercoe had been in a rush to get to their friend’s house.

Mr Taylor asked the defendant if he had been racing with his friend, driving very fast and too close behind him.

Kingcome said: “No. We were not racing. There was definitely over two car lengths between us. I was driving at 65mph.”

He insisted he had not exceeded 70mph along the route and denied trying to overtake his friend.

Mr Taylor referred to evidence from witnesses suggesting he had “goaded” Mr Vercoe into driving fast by driving aggressively behind him.

He replied: “Definitely not. No.”

The trial continues.