A MOTORIST is standing trial for manslaughter after he left his badly injured friend in a crashed car and failed to call an ambulance. Christian White, 30, who was living in Eynesbury at the time, is accused by the prosecution of consigning his friend, Ad

A MOTORIST is standing trial for manslaughter after he left his badly injured friend in a crashed car and failed to call an ambulance.

Christian White, 30, who was living in Eynesbury at the time, is accused by the prosecution of consigning his friend, Adam Ferguson, to "certain death".

Yesterday (Tuesday) a court was told the friends had been for a drink in St Neots on February 29 last year before driving back to Mr Ferguson's home in Sandy.

Shortly before 1am the following morning, when Mr White had taken over driving his friend's Vauxhall Cavalier, the car left the road near Blunham and crashed into a ditch.

Mr White is accused of fleeing from the scene, leaving 29-year-old Mr Ferguson, of East Road, Sandy, in the car. His body was not found until about 12 hours later.

Prosecutor William Harbage QC told a jury at Luton Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday): "The medical evidence is that Mr Ferguson was unconscious but alive in that car for up to four hours.

"He might have died anyway but with prompt medical attention he might have survived. It was not inevitable he would die from his injuries.

"What made death inevitable was his friend's failure to summon help.

"Shamefully, he simply left the scene and made no attempt to assist his mate, or report the incident or call 999."

He added: "It may be because the defendant was a disqualified driver at the time or because he had been drinking during the evening that he felt he would get into serious trouble if he reported it and admitted he was the driver."

Mr Harbage also told the court that the defendant made no effort the next day to contact his friend, went out drinking the following night and stayed the night with a girl he met.

He was arrested the day after and said he had no memory of the accident or how he got home.

Mr White, who lived at Potton Road, Eynesbury, but now lives at Cherry Tree Grove, Spalding, Lincolnshire, denies manslaughter.

The prosecution case claims Mr White, who was wearing a seatbelt and escaped uninjured, was driving too fast, clipped a kerb, rolled down an embankment and crashed into a ditch.

"Mr Ferguson was not wearing a seat belt and sustained serious head injuries, but was still alive," said Mr Harbage.

"You might think the next stage in this sorry sage would have been for him to call the emergency services and get help for his friend bleeding in the front seat. He must have realised he was in a bad way."

He said tests on the deceased's blood showed he would have been over the drink drive limit, but because Mr White was not arrested until 36 hours later no tests were carried out on his blood.

However, Mr White said he only had a couple of pints on the night of the accident.

Mr Harbage said the extent to which White's negligent breach of duty contributed to death would be the central issue of the trial which is scheduled to last until Friday.

The case continues