A motorist said he was swerving to avoid a dog when he crashed into and killed a former stunt man.

Experienced motorcyclist and former professional motocross rider Malcolm Dearn, 60, died at the scene of the crash near Billingshurst Roderick Chaffin-Laird, 64, is accused of driving his Mercedes on the wrong side of the road when the head-on collision with the BMW bike took place.

Lewes Crown Court was told how after the fatal crash Chaffin-Laird was seen sucking mints - allegedly to mask the smell of alcohol on his breath.

Later he refused to allow a blood sample to be tested for alcohol and claimed the dead motorcyclist was driving too fast.

At Lewes Crown Court Chaffin-Laird, of Monks Gate Cottage, Monks Gate, near Horsham, denies causing death by careless driving and failing to give police permission to allow his blood sample to be tested.

The court was told the accident happened on the evening of October 30 2007 when Mr Dearn was out with four friends for one of their regular rides around the Sussex countryside.

Mr Dearn, of Ifield Road, Charlwood, was approaching a bend on the A272 at Coneyhurst when he was hit by the car.

Tayo Adebayo, prosecuting, said: "There was no chance for Mr Dearn to brake or take evasion action.

"The prosecution say the defendant was on the wrong side of the road, partly because he was driving too fast and partly because he had been drinking."

Mr Adebayo said Mr Dearn, who doubled for Sidney Poitier in a movie about motocross, was an experienced, safe and competent rider who had travelled the world on his bike.

After the accident Mr Dearn's friend, John Davey, who had been riding behind and saw the accident, spoke to Chaffin-Laird, who was seen staggering as he got out of his car.

He said Mr Davey could smell alcohol on the motorist's breath but when asked if he had been drinking Chaffin-Laird denied it.

Mr Adebayo said: "The defendant was popping mints into his mouth, no doubt trying to mask the smell of alcohol."

When police arrived Chaffin-Laird failed to give an adequate sample for a roadside breath test and was arrested. He then fell against the police car and was taken to hospital where he was discharged hours later.

He refused to allow police to test a blood sample taken at the hospital.

He later issued a written statement to the police in which he claimed as he approached the bend a dog ran into the road and he had swerved to try to avoid it.

He said in the statement, if the motorcyclist had been driving at a sensible speed he could have stopped or taken evasive action and not hit his car.

The trial continues.