A rally enthusiast who killed the man interested in buying his car by showing off during a test drive has been jailed for four years.

Nathan Morris, aged 24, was described by witnesses as 'flying along' and 'bombing it' shortly before he collided with a parked 4x4 with such force he pushed it 17 metres down the road.

Morris, of Heywood Court, Tenby, was convicted by a jury at Swansea Crown Court of causing the death of Gavin Collier, aged 20, by dangerous driving. He had denied the charge.

The jury heard how Morris had been trying to sell his Peugeot 106 Rallye. Mr. Collier, from Neath, responded to his advert and on February 17 last year Morris took him for a test drive.

Mr. Collier had driven at first, but after he revealed that he was not insured, Morris, a mechanical engineering student, took the wheel.

On the A4139 Penally bypass, he reached speeds of up to 75 mph - the limit was 50 mph - and lost control.

Jim Davis, representing Morris, said he was genuinely remorseful for the consequences of a brief period of bad driving. He said he accepted that Morris should have been aware that the Peugeot had a defective shock absorber which would have affected the stability of the vehicle.

Morris had been badly injured in the accident and had been airlifted to hospital.

Craig Jones, prosecuting, said Mr. Collier had had a wide range of interests, in particular cycling and skiing, as well as cars. The effect of his death had been 'devastating' on his family, he added.

Judge John Diehl said the absorber fault would have taken time to develop and would have been noticed when cornering.

Morris, he said, had driven at a 'very excessive' speed and witnesses had told about him 'screeching' away from a standing start, 'flying along and bombing it'.

The result, he added, was a sickening impact.

The jury had heard from a road accident expert who calculated that Morris, who worked at the Ritec quad bike centre, near Tenby, had still been doing 40 mph at the moment of impact, despite heavy braking. The 4x4 Isuzu Tropper would have reached a speed of 24 mph, such was the force of the impact.

Morris, who will serve half the sentence in custody and the rest on licence, was also banned from driving for four years.

After the verdict last month, Mr. Collier's family issued a statement saying: "Gavin's father, family and friends have been devastated by his tragic and untimely death.

"Gavin loved life but had his whole future cruelly snatched away from him by the reckless and irresponsible actions of Nathan Morris.

"While nothing will ever bring Gavin back, his family hopes his death has not been entirely in vain and will act as a warning to others of the tragic consequences that can result from dangerous and irresponsible driving."

Police 'satisfied with court's decision'

Following sentencing on Monday, PC Justin Williams, of Dyfed Powys Police's Roads Policing Unit and the investigating officer on the case, said: "No matter how long Mr. Morris serves in prison, the sad fact remains that nothing will ever bring back Gavin, and Mr. Morris will have to live with that fact for the rest of his life.

"I am satisfied with the court's decision to find Nathan Morris guilty of the more serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving and the subsequent handing-down of a four year custodial sentence.

"There are no winners in this case and Gavin's untimely and tragic death should serve as a potent reminder about the terrible consequences of reckless and dangerous driving."

Victim 'loved life and lived it to the full'

In a victim statement from Mr. Jonathan Collier, Gavin's father that was handed to the court, Mr. Collier, said: "As a direct result of Gavin's death, several family members have suffered from health problems and sadly Gavin's grandmother died suddenly in January this year. The funeral was held just a week before the court case.

"When Gavin was aged only 13, his mother died from a brain tumour, which made him realise how precious life is. He loved life and lived it to the full. He had many interests, including cycling, bodybuilding, boxing and of course he loved cars among other interests.

"Gavin's loss before his 21st birthday has had a devastating effect on me and my family and the trauma caused by Mr. Morris's actions cannot be overstated. Gavin was much-loved and will be forever sorely missed."