A joyrider who crashed a stolen car, killing an 18-year-old passenger, tried to return to the scene undercover as a student, a court heard.

German student Regina Eibach was confronted by the tattooed man on November 26 last year as she walked home with two friends along Warleigh Road, Brighton.

At Hove Crown Court yesterday she told a jury the man in his 20s had confided in them he was the driver in a crash in Ditchling Road.

She said: "He said a friend of his was lying down there.

"Then he asked if one of us could hold his arm to show he was one of us and to pretend he was German as well."

However, the group was headed off by police and the driver then went to a phone box and called somebody saying: "I am in big trouble. I had an accident, ring me back."

The girls then became scared and eventually left the man to walk home and informed police the next day, the court heard.

Passenger, Jamie White, 18, of Lomond Avenue, Brighton, died in the crash after a stolen Ford Escort, said to be driven by Gary Whibley, 18, of Ditchling Road, crashed at high speed.

Jamie was flung from the car after it drove the wrong way up Ditchling Road, hit a taxi, two other cars and injured a pensioner.

Whibley denies causing death by dangerous driving.

Jahid Arien, 20, of Woodbourne Avenue, and 21-year-old Neil Clarke, of Rotherfield Crescent, both deny aggravated vehicle taking. The court had heard the four stole the car after a night out drinking in Brighton.

Ms Eibach said she remembered the man vividly because of his three tattoos, a spider on his right forearm, a cannabis leaf on his shoulder and numbers or letters on his wrist.

The man had told the girls he could not go back to the accident on his own because he was in trouble with the police because of "puff".

The jury heard he later told them: "If you need drugs in this area, I am the person to come to."

Asked why the girls agreed to accompany the man, who was nursing a hurt hand, Ms Eibach told the court: "We were so shocked and reacted in a really stupid way."

As the group walked back to the scene, the girls asked if he was involved in the accident.

He repeated: "I am not guilty, I am not guilty."

Ms Eibach said when they asked him if he had been driving he replied: "Yes, but it was not my car, it was a friend's."

As the girls became more scared they walked away from the man towards their home but he told them he needed to get away from the area and followed them.

Ms Eibach said: "I said to him 'we are going to split now, bye' and he said 'can I see you again to say thank you or give you a present or something like that?'"

On Tuesday, the court heard witness Andrew Wright had also been accosted by two youths after walking past the scene of the fatal crash.

He told the court a man had threatened him, saying, "We have been with you all night, you say anything else and you are dead."

Mr Wright ignored the pair's warning and later telephoned the police.

The case continues.