An inquest into the death of a motorcyclist on the A41 in Watford revealed he had drunk more than twice the legal alcohol limit.

Shaun Jarvis died when he crashed into a barrier between the Hunton Bridge roundabout and junction 20 of the M25.

The 38-year-old had been celebrating at a house party on Sunday, March 20, and did not intend to drive home.

However, after trying unsuccessfully to contact his girlfriend, sending her text and voicemail messages, he left the party at 3.30am on his black and yellow Suzuki GSXR 600.

A post mortem following the crash discovered he had a blood alcohol concentration of 190mg, more than double the legal limit.

PC Kirk Dawson, who saw Mr Jarvis before he crashed, was in an unmarked car on the lookout for burglars, and was due to finish his shift at 4am.

As he was returning to the station, a motorbike suddenly appeared in front of him on the Dome Roundabout.

PC Dawson said: “It was stationary for a few seconds in the centre of the road, I tapped my horn and he lowered his head and shook it as if he was crying, or in despair.

“He moved away slowly and pulled into the wrong entrance of the petrol station, I crawled along behind him and tried to get his attention to see if he was ok. I didn't care if he was drunk at the time, I was more worried that there was something wrong.

“He then pulled on to the A41 towards Kings Langley, astronomically fast. I reported it on the radio, we are not supposed to chase motorcycles, especially in an unmarked car.”

Michael Gibbs, a minibus driver from Kent, saw Mr Jarvis speed past him through a red traffic light, at what he estimated to be about 80 miles per hour.

PC Dawson added: “I carried on down the road with the intention to turn around at the roundabout, when I saw debris on the road.

“When I looked at the central reservation I saw what I thought were sandbags. Then I realised it was the jacket I had seen in the petrol station.”

PC Edward Peachment, who investigated the crash, said Mr Jarvis had been travelling at 60 miles per hour when he left the road, although evidence of heavy breaking suggested he had previously been driving faster.

After losing control of the bike, Mr Jarvis hit the central reservation, where he was thrown more than 25 meters from his vehicle, hitting his head on the barrier. His helmet was found in several pieces.

He added: “He misjudged the severity of the bend. On a powerful motorbike you need to be able to judge distance and speed.”

Formerly of Zambia, Mr Jarvis moved to England in 1999 with his ex-wife to provide better opportunities for the family.

At the time of the incident he was living in Woolstone, Milton Keynes, and was working as a air conditioning and refrigeration engineer.

A keen cricketer, he regularly played for MK City, Great Linford and North Bucks Ambulance cricket teams in Milton Keynes.

He liked 80s and rock music, playing his drums in his spare time and particularly enjoyed listening to live bands and was always the first on the dance floor.

Although Mr Jarvis separated from his ex-wife Paula in 2005, they remained good friends.

She said: “Shaun was a kind, considerate and approachable person, who loved spending time with his children – they were his world. He was a good father, very hands on.”

Mr Jarvis leaves parents Norman and Gwen, sisters Sharon and Marie, ex-wife Paula and their children Keegan and Tayla, his partner Astrid and his extended family in the UK and Australia.

At an inquest in Hatfield today, coroner Edward Thomas ruled accidental death.

He said: “An inquest is often full of what-ifs. What if Shaun had stopped and spoken to the police officer? What if he had listened to his friends and not driven off?

“When you have too much to drink you make judgements that in the cold light of day you regret. He made a judgement to drive, and drove too fast. He was distressed and wanted to get somewhere quickly.

“The alcohol would have disorientated him, and once a motorcyclist loses control there is little they can do, and they are so exposed.”