A MAN was more than twice the drink-driving limit when he killed his friend after losing control of his van, a jury heard.

Jason Evans is on trial accused of being responsible for causing the death by dangerous driving of British and Welsh boxing champion Shane Thomas in Pontypool.

READ MORE: Our live blog from today’s trial

Mr Thomas, 22, died at the scene on Penywain Road following the fatal collision when the Renault Kangoo crashed at around 7.30pm on August 5, 2019.

“The defendant was driving well in excess of the 30mph speed limit when he lost control of the van,” prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said.

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“He collided with two stationary vehicles before careering out of control and crashing into a stone wall.

“It is the prosecution case that the defendant was driving and his friend Mr Thomas was a passenger in that van.”

Mr Cobbe said it is the defence’s case that it was in fact Mr Thomas who was driving the Kangoo and Evans the passenger.

“The defence say we've got it the wrong way around,” he told the court.

The jury heard that the prosecution will be calling an expert witness called Mike Brown.

“His assessment of the incident is that when he looks at how the vehicle would have spun and turned and collided, it is his assessment that he can safely place the defendant behind the wheel of the van when the collision occurred, “ Mr Cobbe told them.

The prosecution say Mr Thomas, from Pontypool, was sitting in the centre console of the van and Evans had been drinking on the day of the crash.

“ The defendant was intoxicated,” Mr Cobbe told Cardiff Crown Court.

“A blood sample was taken from him following the crash and he had an alcohol reading that was well over twice the legal limit.”

He added: “It is in fact the prosecution's case that the defendant drove his van dangerously earlier that day.

"In fact that the incident that resulted in the death of Shane Thomas was the third example of dangerous driving by him during the course of that day.

“The defendant drove dangerously we say at around 6pm when he left the garage forecourt of the Esso garage at Rockhill Road in Pontypool and then about 20 minutes later CCTV, this time from the Gulf garage on Albion Road nearby, shows him driving dangerously once again.

“And so as a result the defendant faces an indictment containing three counts.”

The court heard there was a third man in the van called Robert Smith who ran away from the scene following the crash.

The 31-year-old Evans, of Tyla Lane, Old St Mellons, Cardiff, has pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

He also denies driving dangerously on Rockhill Road and Albion Road.

The trial before Judge Niclas Parry continues.