Crash driving instructor jailed

A driving instructor and another motorist have been jailed after a high-speed collision in which a man died.

Michael Lopez, 28, was driving a car which overtook another at speeds of more than 110mph on the A177 between Stockton and Sedgefield in June 2003.

The other car crashed and Leslie Clark, 54, of Acklam, Middlesbrough, died.

Lopez, of Fishburn, Co Durham, was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. David Matthews, of Wolviston, admitted the same offence.

It was a horrific accident and a totally unnecessary death Judge Tony Briggs

Teesside Crown Court heard the Audi S2 Quattro Coupe being driven by Lopez clipped the Lexus ILS200, driven by Matthews, which virtually disintegrated after hitting a tree.

Lopez, of Sycamore Road, Fishburn, was convicted following a trial in October and on Friday was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Matthews, 35, of Wolviston, Teesside, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after he admitted the same offence.

In mitigation, both defence barristers said the men maintained they had not been racing but admitted speeding and that Matthews' guilty plea was on that basis.

Sentences slammed

Judge Tony Briggs told them: "It was a horrific accident and a totally unnecessary death brought about by the conduct of you both which amounted to dangerous driving.

"It's plain that neither of you have any connection with each other so it's not a case of an arranged race but it is a case of you both driving too fast."

Both men were also banned from driving for four years.

Mr Clark and two others were being given a lift home by Matthews from five-a-side football at the time of the crash.

After the hearing, Mr Clark's son Les said: "The verdicts are shocking, we expected about seven years for Lopez and five for Matthews.

"These two men wiped out my dad yet will probably be out in a year or so and the whole family is shocked by the sentences."