A MAN accused of causing his friend’s death by driving “competitively” with a high-powered Audi told a jury he was in full control of his vehicle and had done nothing wrong.

Haaris Khan said he had slowed the Volkswagen Golf down before the Audi RS4 lost control in Bradford Road, Bingley, and hit a tree killing 22-year-old law graduate Shamas Fakeer.

Khan, 25, of West Park Road, Girlington, Bradford, denies causing the death of Mr Fakeer by dangerous driving, causing death by driving with no driving licence, and causing death by driving without insurance.

He has pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice by giving false information to the police after the crash in the early hours of Sunday, February 26, 2017.

Yesterday morning, Khan’s brother, Aamir Khan, 26, also of West Park Road, was cleared of attempting to pervert the course of justice after the prosecution offered no further evidence against him.

He was discharged from the dock by Judge David Hatton QC.

Giving evidence in his defence, Haaris Khan told Bradford Crown Court he met the Audi by chance on Duckworth Lane, Bradford, on his way to a takeaway in Bingley.

Khan said he did not know the driver, a man also named Haaris Khan, 26, of Park Grove, Frizinghall, Bradford. He has pleaded guilty to causing Mr Fakeer’s death by dangerous driving.

Khan agreed he was driving his brother’s VW Golf without insurance or a driving licence.

He saw that Mr Fakeer, who he had not seen for some time, was a passenger in the Audi.

The cars both set off towards Bingley and Khan said he crossed the road at 60mph to avoid a speed camera.

The Audi was sometimes close behind him and sometimes further back.

Shortly before the crash, the Audi overtook at speed, braked and slid across the road out of control.

He heard a bang and on rounding the corner, he saw smoke.

Khan said he was shocked when the Audi went past him.

“I wasn’t condoning anything like that: no competing, so I applied my brakes,” he told the jury.

He parked up and ran to the scene, flagging down a passing ambulance, he said.

Khan said he did not speak to police at the crash site because he was in shock.

He had just seen his friend dying on the ground.

“My head was all over the place at the time,” Khan said.

He and his two passengers walked home, the court was told yesterday.

Khan texted his brother on the way back, saying: “Never will I drive again, not legit. Not worth it.”

After he was charged and bailed, Khan said he had passed his driving test.

Cross-examined by Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, Khan denied he was “showing off” in the Golf.

He was alarmed to see the Audi so close behind him, but then it dropped back to a safe distance.

“You knew perfectly well that you were going to have a race together, or at one point, it occurred to one or the other of you that it would be fun to race?” Mr Sharp suggested.

Khan denied this, saying the Golf would have no chance against the high-powered Audi.

“If it was a competition, he would have overtaken me before,” he stated.

“I was fully in control of my car. I didn’t think I was doing anything dangerous.”

Khan added: “The death of Shamas Fakeer had nothing to do with me or my passengers.”

The trial continues.