A MAN appeared at Chester Crown Court yesterday charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a car crash in which his 23-year-old 'soul mate' was killed.

Kirsty Dyson, a former Frodsham High School pupil who had just moved to Helsby from Frodsham, was a front seat passenger in the car and died at the scene despite the efforts of paramedics to revive her.

On July 24 last year the accused - Martin Roberts, 24, of Allport Road in Bromborough, Wirral - had been driving his red BMW on the A56 between Mickle Trafford and Dunham Hill when he lost control, colliding with the wall of a garage forecourt.

He denies driving dangerously prior to the incident and, when questioned by police after the collision, said he braked suddenly because of a puddle on the road.

Roberts, who suffered a head wound in the accident, left a card at the scene which read:

'You were my partner, my soul mate, my best friend. I will love you 'til the end of time. I miss you so much. I will never forget you, you rest for eternity in my heart. Martin.'

Myles Wilson, prosecuting, said: 'This defendant lost control of the car because he was trying to drive too quickly round a bend. Because of that there was a collision and the defendant's car crashed into a wall.

'The defendant's girlfriend died in that collision, a collision caused by dangerous driving.'

A Volkswagen Golf, with four occupants, was travelling in front of the BMW until shortly before the bend on which the accident happened.

Ben Smith, who was driving the car, told the jury that although the BMW had given him no cause for concern he did notice that it had overtaken him very quickly.

He said: 'He was travelling quite quickly away from our car and I was travelling at around 55mph - I would estimate the car was travelling around 80mph.'

Under cross-examination by David McAlchlan, defending, he said the road was wet and there was water on the road surface.

His then girlfriend Anna Stoops, a front seat passenger in his car, said: 'I could see on the digital read out for the speedometer that we were travelling at 59 or 60mph when he overtook us.

'He was doing considerably more - 80 or 90mph, I can't be sure. I was quite shocked he'd chosen to overtake at that point. It was very, very close to the corner.'

The case continues and is expected to conclude today.