A DRIVER from Redditch taking a high-performance Jaguar away from an event at Worcester Warriors rugby club lost control of the car and killed a man in a head-on collision, a jury has been told.

Witnesses described seeing the Jaguar F type convertible "fish-tailing" and heard it being revved loudly before it crashed into a VW Golf coming in the opposite direction on the A4538 Pershore Lane, the jury at Worcester Crown Court has heard.

The VW driver David Smith, a 59-year-old rugby referee, was killed in the crash. Jaguar driver John Shaw, aged 61, of The Meadway, who was seriously hurt, denies causing death by dangerous driving.

Gareth Walters, prosecuting, told a jury that a promotional event had been staged by Listers car dealership at the Warriors ground on Saturday, October 12, 2013, involving a cycle ride starting at 10.30am and a static display of Jaguar cars.

The event was winding down at about 2.15pm and Shaw was asked to drive the F Type, one of four cars on display, back to the garage in Ombersley Road, Worcester, by his friend Jonathan Hands, the sales manager and organiser of the event.

Mr Hands told the jury he had confidence in Shaw driving the vehicle, worth about £90,000, as he was familiar with Jaguars and had been driving earlier in the day.

Mr Walters said the Jaguar was a high performance car with 500 brake horsepower, capable of going from 0 to 100 in 8.8 seconds.

It features an inboard computer which records its recent performance and experts said it showed the car veering from 45 to 70 mph seconds before the crash. It was travelling at 53 mph when it crossed the carriageway and hit the VW, he said.

Eyewitnesses in other cars said the Jaguar had been accelerating harshly and going much too fast for the conditions, Mr Walters said.

" He lost control of the car," Mr Walters said. "The rear offside swung out and fish-tailed towards the centre of the road and back again."

Shaw told police he was not a "boy racer" and had not been driving dangerously. He said he had "lost the back end" of the car and his foot could have slipped as he tried to brake.

The jury was told he has admitted causing death by careless driving but the prosecution say his driving fell into the dangerous category.

"He was driving a very powerful and very exciting motor car," Mr Walters said. "He came around an island and put his foot down to see what the car would do.

But it's not a straight road and has a slight bend. Because of his harsh acceleration he lost control and hit Mr Smith's car."

Emergency services and doctors could not save Mr Smith, from Chippenham in Wiltshire, who died an hour later.

He was the president of the Somerset County Rugby Football Union and Old Sulians rugby club, in Bath, and was on his way to the Warriors ground to be an assessor in a match between Worcester Wanderers and Newton Abbot.

The trial continues.