A driver who killed two cyclists in a head-on crash while speeding in a stolen car has been jailed.
Colin Smith, 23, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after he caused a pile-up while under the influence of cannabis.
He was driving at approximately 70mph on a 40mph road in Speke, Liverpool, when he collided with the cyclists and hit two cars, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday.
Clare Killey, 45, a mother of two from Childwall, died at the scene of the crash on February 28, 2019, and Anthony Cope, 39, a father of two from Halewood, died 18 days later in hospital.
Katy Nicholson, a passenger in a car, suffered a broken collarbone and lifelong damage to her mobility due to the accident.
Smith, of Lower Road, Halewood, was more than twice the legal limit of cannabis and was driving a stolen white Ford Fiesta with false number plates and fraudulently acquired insurance.
Family members of those killed have described their devastating grief after losing their loved ones.
In a statement read to the court Yvonne Smith, Mr Cope’s partner, said: ‘I am existing not living, in a kind of limbo, from the moment I wake up I feel the loss of Tony not lying next to me.’
She said their daughter, who was five when her father died, had told her it was ‘OK to be sad’.
The court heard Smith initially fled the scene, but later returned and identified himself as the driver to police.
He collided with a red Ford Fiesta driven by Michael Morgan as he travelled at speed around a blind bend on Dunlop Road, then hitting the two cyclists and another car.
Smith claimed during his trial that the crash was Mr Morgan’s fault.
The husband of health worker Mrs Killey said: ‘I hope the defendant feels remorse, I know he must because he’s human.
‘I refuse to feel hatred towards him because it will only grow down towards my kids and I’m not having that, nothing can change what happened or bring back my amazing wife whose job and personality was all about helping people and improving the lives of other families.
‘I just hope he feels it in every decision he makes and lives his life in accordance with those feelings in Clare’s name.’
Judge David Potter said both victims were killed ‘in the prime of their lives’ and told Smith he ‘must live with the fact that your actions caused these two deaths.’
Smith was found guilty following a trial of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury due to dangerous driving.
Before the trial he admitted four counts of fraud relating to his vehicle insurance, one count of receiving stolen goods and one count of drug driving.
He was also disqualified from driving for 10 years and four months.
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