Driver, 18, killed friend in high-speed car crash

AN 18-year-old killed one of his best friends after losing control of his car as he hurtled along a Bristol road at more than twice the speed limit.

Saad Beg had three passengers in his Honda Civic as he accelerated to more than 60mph on a wet, slippery Feeder Road on the night of July 3 last year, Bristol Crown Court heard.

After losing control , Beg's car hit a postbox, "flew" across the road and hit a tree before flipping over and landing in SCS Autoparts' car park.

Baz Cottle, 19, who had been sitting behind the driver's seat, was thrown 6ft from the car and suffered fatal head injuries.

His friends emerged from the crash with only minor injuries, despite the fact that none of them had been wearing seatbelts.

Mr Cottle's family stormed out of the court room, visibly disgusted, as Judge Geoffrey Mercer QC sentenced Beg to a total of one year, nine months in a Young Offenders' Institution.

The sentencing guidelines had a starting point of 15 months to three years, but Cottle was given credit for admitting the offence. He was also banned from driving for three years.

Earlier in proceedings, Judge Mercer said: "He was driving at a speed that would have been excessive in ordinary driving conditions, but it was much too fast in the conditions that were prevailing at that time."

Passing sentence, the judge said: "He was driving much too fast and he lost control."

Beg, of Stockwood Crescent, Knowle, passed his test in December 2011. As well as causing death by dangerous driving, he also admitted fraud by falsely claiming to hold a provisional licence to get insurance for the Honda Civic

Prosecuting, Rupert Lowe said investigations revealed that other than one quote for £70,000 per year, someone of Beg's age would not have been able to get insured on the car if he had been truthful.

"He was inexperienced and had been driving illegally for all, or most of that time," Mr Lowe added.

Explaining how Beg had been driving before the crash near the junction with Avonside Road, he told the court: "It (the car) was seen to be weaving and driven erratically at what was described as incredibly high speeds."

Although Beg had no previous convictions, he had cautions for taking a family member's car without consent and driving while uninsured.

Mr Lowe said it was "extraordinarily good luck" that apart from Mr Cottle, no-one else was seriously injured.

But collision investigators said such was the impact of the car hitting the tree, even if Mr Cottle had been wearing a seatbelt, he still may have died.

Mitigating, Keir Monteith said: "He (Beg) is truly sorry and remorseful and he asked me to publicly say that again."

He told the court Beg, an apprentice plumber, had tried to revive Mr Cottle and had been extremely concerned about how he was after the crash.

"He will live with this for the rest of his life," Mr Monteith added.

Mr Cottle, of Broomhill, was a popular 19-year-old with four brothers and a sister. His friends and family described him as "bubbly", "kind" and a "proper gentleman".

As previously reported, in the wake of his death, a campaign was launched to encourage people to wear seatbelts – called "Belt up for Baz".

Special wristbands were sold in his memory to pay for a memorial bench installed near the Thekla nightclub, his favourite venue.

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