by Keith Hunt

Two car passengers died after two friends were racing each other late at night in Tunbridge Wells, a court heard.

Victims Korin Brooker and Danny Moss, both 20, were travelling in a car driven by Leo Msalmi in the early hours of February 23 last year.

Msalmi, 20, of Parsonage Road, Tunbridge Wells, has admitted causing the deaths by dangerous driving.

Terrence Maloney, 26, also of Parsonage Road, is on trial having denied the charges, as well as an alternative of dangerous driving.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Msalmi and Maloney were racing each other from a pub in Tonbridge to go to a nightclub in Tunbridge Wells.

But the tragedy happened when Msalmi crashed a Fiat Bravo into railings in Longfield Road just after midnight.

Jonathan Higgs, prosecuting, told the jury: "In one sense it was Mr Msalmi who caused the deaths of these two people. But when two people are racing together they are both responsible for what happened.

"It is alleged they were not only racing, the manner of their driving was dangerous. The defendants say they were not racing."

The friends had all been to The Pinnacles pub in Shipbourne Road, Tonbridge.

Msalmi was driving the car of Miss Brooker, who was in the front passenger seat. Mr Moss was in the back seat with Shannon Cox.

Maloney was at the wheel of his BMW 323 car with passengers. Driving behind the two men in her Vauxhall Corsa was Stacey Goodhew, 19, who was then Msalmi's girlfriend.

Mr Higgs said there was overtaking during the journey on the A26 and at one point Msalmi drove on the wrong side of the road.

He eventually struck the railings near North Farm industrial estate. The passenger side where both Miss Brooker, of Woodside Road, Tunbridge Wells, and Mr Moss, of Clifton Road, Tunbridge Wells, were sitting bore the brunt of the impact.

The prosecutor said the force of the crash was such that the engine came out of the car.

The trial continues.