A TEENAGER accused of driving a car at excessive speed before it crashed into a church wall killing his 15-year-old front seat passenger insisted he had been in the back seat.

Syam Khan, 19, has denied causing the death of Saliq Malik by dangerous driving.

The schoolboy died in hospital from severe head and neck injuries after the Volkswagen Golf slid sideways out of control and hit the church wall, in Gilpin Street, Barkerend, Bradford, on the morning of September 12, 2014.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Khan, of Kimberley Street, Laisterdyke, Bradford, told a jury at Bradford Crown Court that he had been contacted by phone by his friend, Haris Khan, asking if he wanted a GTi car for his sister's wedding.

He went outside and saw a GTi on his street and walked to it.

He said the driver, who he did not know, moved his seat forward to allow Khan to get in the back, where he began to chat with Haris, who was already in the back seat.

Questioned by his barrister, Andrew Dallas, Khan said his sister's wedding was coming up and he was having a look at the car.

He said he had never seen the car before, did not drive and did not have a licence.

He said he had never seen the driver before, did not get a look at his face, or speak to him, but he sounded like a young man and was wearing something black.

Khan said he thought the car was travelling fast before the accident, but did not know how it went out of control.

He said he was not wearing a seat belt and the impact had thrown him between the front seats. He said that when he opened his eyes, there was no driver. He managed to get out, and helped Haris out. He spoke to Saliq but there was no response.

Khan told the jury he did not make a phone call to anyone from the scene. It is alleged another car was summonsed to the scene to take him away.

Under cross examination by prosecutor David Dixon, Khan, who was wearing a white T-shirt on the day of the crash, admitted that the driver of the car, in CCTV clips from the accident, was wearing a white sleeve. He said he did not know whether the driver had taken off a black jacket while driving at speed.

Khan denied suggestions by Mr Dixon that he had been driving the car and through inexperience and stupidity had lost control. He denied he had panicked when he saw the devastation he had caused.

Mr Dixon suggested Khan had got himself away, out of panic or stupidity to hide what he had done. "No sir," the defendant replied.

Mr Dixon added: "You hid your appearance again in hospital, to cover your tracks, because you callously caused that accident and did not care about those you left behind." Khan again replied: "No sir."

Khan also pleads not guilty to causing serious injury to Haris Khan by dangerous driving.

He also faces a joint charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, with brothers Nadeem, 29, and Yasser Hussain, 28, both of Gladstone Street, Bradford Moor; and 21-year-old Waqas Iqbal, of Florence Street, Laisterdyke. All deny the charge.

The trial continues.