A 30-year-old Suffolk man accused of causing the death of a cyclist by dangerous driving in Bury St Edmunds used his phone to send a WhatsApp message shortly before the fatal collision, it has been alleged.

Alexander Martin was driving his Nissan Qashqai home from work along Newmarket Road in the town towards the A14 when he hit the back of a cycle ridden by 65-year-old Stephen Lawrence from Risby, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Mr Lawrence, who was wearing a hi-vis jacket and a red baseball cap, was catapulted into the air and hit the windscreen of the Qashqai before landing in the road behind the vehicle, said William Carter, prosecuting.

He suffered catastrophic injuries and was declared dead at the scene.

Martin, of Tulyar Walk, Newmarket, has denied causing death by dangerous driving on April 12, 2021 and an alternative less serious charge of causing Mr Lawrence's death by careless driving.

Mr Carter told the court that shortly before the fatal collision, at around 6pm, Martin had stopped at a Shell garage to buy a drink and could be seen looking down doing something as he left.

An examination of his phone showed he had sent a WhatsApp message 34 seconds before making a 999 call following the collision.

“You may be driven to the conclusion that he was in fact using his phone during the journey between the garage and the crash,” said Mr Carter.

He said that a windscreen wiper on the driver’s side of the Qashqai was broken and the windscreen had been “extremely” dirty.

After his arrest, Martin claimed that Mr Lawrence had hit the kerb or for some reason had swerved in front of him immediately before the collision.

However,  Mr Carter said that expert evidence from an accident investigator didn’t support that.

“We say that for whatever reason he didn’t see him,” said Carter.

The trial continues.