A MOTORCYCLIST was killed on the M65 after a driver allegedly braked suddenly, causing him to fall off and slide under the car, a jury was told.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Mark Walsh, 43, was said to have been driving on the clear westbound carriageway at less than 10mph.

It was, alleged prosecutor Robert Elias, ‘an accident waiting to happen’, and ‘inviting catastrophe’.

Walsh’s alleged victim Peter Sarchet, 41, from Worsthorne, lost control, fell off his Yamaha bike and slid across the road.

He was forced under the rear of the defendant’s vehicle and became jammed.

His bike hit the car and rebounded into the carriageway, travelling a further 17.7 metres.

Walsh, who was driving to work, was said to have stopped his Vauxhall Insignia and was about to drive off until a man ran towards him and shouted to him not to because there was someone under it.

The hearing was told how an RAC patrol man jacked up the Vauxhall to get to the injured rider. He had suffered multiple injuries affecting his spine and liver and died at or before he reached the Royal Preston Hospital.

Walsh, of Balliol Close, Padiham, denies causing the death of Mr Sarchet by dangerous driving on the motorway at Walton-le-Dale on November 1, 2011.

Mr Elias told the jury that another motorist, Anna Smith, saw the Vauxhall about three or four metres ahead of her. There was a motorcycle some way behind her.

The Vauxhall braked for no reason she could see and Walsh slowed down very quickly.

She slammed on her brakes and the car in front went to the left. She had no choice but to swerve into the middle lane. She realised the motorcyclist had collided with the car she had swerved to avoid.

Walsh gave his details to police and a breath test showed he had not been drinking.

The prosecutor said evidence showed Mr Sarchet was travelling in lane one, in the region of 37 to 45mph, when he braked and locked the front wheel. At the moment of impact, Walsh was travelling at less than 10mph. The defendant was doing no more and perhaps less than 10mph when Mr Sarchet came up behind him and lost control. The car stopped within three feet.

Mr Elias said Mr Sarchet had no alcohol or drugs in his system.

The defendant was interviewed at Burnley Police Station on December 21 and gave a prepared statement. He said he was a family man living in Hapton, worked at Schneider Electrical and was of good character.

The prosecutor said Walsh told police he had been travelling at 70mph. He did not recall feeling any impact. Walsh said he automatically braked hard and tried to steer his car onto the hard shoulder to avoid a collision.

The prosecutor alleged: “If someone is driving at less than 10mph on a motorway, he is an accident waiting to happen and he therefore caused, by that conscious driving, the death of that motorcyclist. No competent driver would consciously drive at less than 10mph.”

(proceeding)