A CORONER has hit out at irresponsible lenders after a motorcyclist’s death on Portland.

Paul Rushton, 49, had secured a £10,000 loan before he died when his motorbike collided with a 4x4 vehicle at Chiswell on Portland, an inquest was told.

A police officer said that carpenter Mr Rushton had asked another woman to impersonate his estranged wife during the application process for a joint loan on the phone. PC Steven Pullen said Mrs Rushton had no knowledge of the loan and that her impersonator had to be prompted by Mr Rushton when asked to supply her maiden name and date of birth.

In recording an open verdict, West Dorset coroner Michael Johnston said: “The lender has a lot to answer for because of the way in which Mr Rushton and the woman conducted their business.

“Mr Rushton had a bank loan secured on property and got another woman to impersonate his wife. The whole thing is ludicrous.

“It may have no bearing on the collision but it puts enough doubt into my mind as to why Mr Rushton was staring into the other driver’s face and made no attempt to brake.

“When you are drunk, you would still swerve to avoid a vehicle.

“Mr Rushton was an experienced motorcyclist who knew the area well. That he should make a mistake like this is difficult to understand.”

The inquest was told that Mr Rushton died of multiple injuries.

Mr Johnston heard that Mr Rushton, of Lichfield Road, Weymouth, was more than three times the drink-drive limit at the time of the crash at lunchtime on May 4.

Mr Johnston heard that Mr Rushton overtook a camper van as he was travelling to Weymouth from Portland.

Mr Rushton then struck an oncoming green Mitsubishi Shogun’s bullbar, was knocked into the air and died at the scene.

Dorset Police’s PC Christina Wales, of the road policing unit, said Mr Rushton had a 195-metre sightline of the approaching Mitsubishi, but didn’t return to his own side of the road after overtaking.

Jacqueline Holland, who was driving the Mitsubishi, told the inquest that she wondered whether Mr Rushton was playing chicken.

She said: “I was looking straight at his face and he looked straight back at me. I did think at one point that he was playing chicken with me. There was no expression on his face. There was nothing to prevent him going back on to his side of the road.”

Mr Johnston said that he was not prepared to say that the crash was an accident. He added: “I wonder if he did this deliberately.”