A motorist who was cleared of causing the death of a friend in a horrific collision told an inquest that he could not remember anything about the tragedy.

But after hearing expert evidence John Gittins, coroner for North Wales East and Central, said it was likely that “inappropriate steering” led to the collision.

Jonathan Philip Yeardley, 28, was a rear-seat passenger in Kenneth Roberts’ VW Golf when it left the road and smashed into two trees at Afonwen, near Mold, on May 1, 2016.

Mr Roberts, 36, was initially charged with causing his death by careless driving but just before the trial was due to take place at Mold Crown Court last September the case was dropped when no evidence was offered against him.

The two of them, along with Mr Yeardley’s cousin Daniel Davies, had been playing squash in Mold before travelling on together to watch the Leicester v Manchester United game on TV in the Royal Oak, Caerwys.

Mr Davies, a front-seat passenger, told the hearing in Ruthin that he had been texting during the journey but was not uncomfortable with Mr Roberts’ driving. They were also in no great hurry to see the match.

After taking a right-band at the end of a 500-metre straight the car swung over to the right, the back end swinging round.

It then mounted the verge, hit a tree stump and then smashed into two trees, spinning round before overturning and sliding along the road. The engine and gearbox were found some distance away.

All three were wearing seatbelts but Mr Yeardley, an aquatic scientist, of Bryn Celyn, Nannerch, who was known as “Zico” because of his talent as a footballer, was thrown partly out of the window.

He died of major head injuries and Mr Roberts was also seriously injured. He was flown to the major trauma unit at the Royal Stoke University Hospital but has since made a full recovery.

He told the inquest that he could remember nothing since the Friday, two days before the collision.

“The only recollection I have is being in the car after the crash,” he said.

Vehicle examiner Gary Roberts said the car was generally well-maintained with no defects which might have caused a loss of control.

Though the speedometer was stuck on 76mph that was an unreliable reading because the wheels would have kept turning while in the air, and it did not tally with the rev-counter reading.

Collision investigator Richard Davies said the critical speed for the right-hand bend, which was 55 metres before the first tree, was 77mph and that section of road was covered by the national speed limit of 60mph.

As road and environmental conditions were good he could only conclude that the collision was due to driver-error.

“It occurred because of inappropriate steering input relative to speed,” he said.

Recording a conclusion of a death due to a road traffic collision, the coroner commented: “Whilst it is possible to take the bend at a higher speed the most likely cause was inappropriate steering.”