Danger driver killed mum-of-eleven as he crashed faulty £50 car trying to get away from police

Front seat passenger Paula Tiffin, 52, died from injuries she sustained when the car she was travelling in collided with a wall in Houghton.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that driver Bradley Webb had travelled at high speeds in an effort to evade officers before the smash.

Ms Tiffin later died in hospital and a back seat passenger suffered serious injuries but survived.

Prosecutor Lee Fish told the court: "On the 23rd of August this year the defendant was the driver of a Renault Megane which was involved in the collision.

"It appears the defendant had in fact purchased the vehicle relatively recently for £50.

"The defendant had never held a driving licence and was not insured to drive the vehicle."

The court heard that at around 2:15am police spotted Webb in the Carrville area of County Durham before illuminating their blue lights to indicate him to stop.

The 25-year-old instead made off and drove the vehicle dangerously through red lights as well as exceeding speed limits and on the wrong side of the road.

It was also later discovered that he was over the prescribed limit for amphetamine in his system and that the car was "unroadworthy" due to it having defective ball joints.

Mr Fish added: "The pursuit lasted for about eight minutes and came to an end when the defendant crashed into a wall.

"The defendant was detained at the scene. He was taken to hospital but was discharged the following day, he was immediately arrested.

"Paula Tiffin died on the 25th of August from severe abdominal injuries that she sustained in the collision."

The surviving passenger was treated in intensive care for broken ribs, punctured lungs, a torn aorta, blood clot to the heart and a fractured coccyx bone.

She told police that as soon as Webb spotted the officers he began to drive "really fast" before telling Ms Tiffin to "shut the **** up" after he was asked to slow down.

In an impact statement, she said: "I'd like to state I no longer feel I'm the same person I was before the incident.

"I couldn't understand how I did not die in this crash. Usually I would be sitting in the front if Paula had not been there.

"This has changed my life for the worse. I'm having lots of flashbacks and nightmares thinking I'm back in the crash."

Webb, of Queen Street in Hetton, admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, having no insurance, driving without a licence and failing to stop when required to by police.

He also accepted breaching a suspended sentence which was imposed last year for breaching a restraining order and arguing with police.

Liam O'Brien, defending, said that his client was absolutely responsible for what happened and will suffer for the rest of his life living with what he did.

He told the court that when Webb was informed he would be receiving a significant custodial sentence he replied with: "I deserve all the time I get. She was a friend to me, I wish it had been me.

"I wake up at night seeing her face. I can't sleep, I feel terrible about what happened."

Mr O'Brien added: "This is a case of which the defendant has shown genuine remorse for his actions and beyond that."

Judge Stephen Earl sentenced Webb, who has relevant driving convictions, to six years and eight months behind bars with a five year driving ban after his release.

The judge said: "Only a substantial sentence of imprisonment can and will be imposed.

"The defendant was driving in an appalling manner to evade capture by the police in a vehicle that had no licence to be on the road in the first place.

"Of course tragically we know that Paula Tiffin lost her life despite all of the actions of those who treated her and the intensive care she was given by medical services.

"He will live with this for the rest of his life."