A JURY was sent out today in the trial of a traffic officer who drove his patrol car at 94mph without blue lights or sirens moments before knocking down and killing a schoolgirl.

Pc John Dougal denies causing the death by dangerous driving of Hayley Adamson, 16, who was sent flying through the air and died instantly when she was hit by his powerful Volvo estate car in a residential area of Newcastle's West End last May 19.

The 41-year-old policeman was trying to stop a Renault Megane car which triggered his vehicle number plate recognition system, and was travelling at more than three times the 30mph limit at one stage, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The qualified advanced driver denied his driving was dangerous, explaining to the jury that he did not use his sirens or blue lights because he did not want to alert those in the Renault that they were being followed.

The prosecution alleged that driving at that speed was excessive, particularly as he was in a built-up area.

Andrew Dallas, prosecuting, said: "This, on any view, was dangerous driving, whether undertaken by a civilian, a police officer or anyone else.

"To do so without use of warning lights severely compounds the danger he represented and the dangerousness of his driving."

Hayley, dressed in a white tracksuit, was walking with a group of friends at around 11.20pm when she stepped out into Denton Road.

The court was shown footage from the Volvo's in-car video camera, including the moment the teenager was hit by the car and flung out of shot.

He said he saw the girl and tried to brake and steer away from her, but could not.

The officer stopped immediately afterwards and was confronted by the girl's friends.

Before he sent the jury out, Judge David Hodson told them: "There are few cases which exact stronger feelings than allegations of causing death by dangerous driving and these cases are often the most agonising any court has to face.

"Here the situation is all the more poignant because of the personalities involved - a young woman on the threshold of her life has been killed in the most tragic circumstances and the man charged with killing her by the manner of his driving is a police officer trained, you may think, to the highest standards."