A YOUNG Special Constable who overshot a junction and killed the driver of another car has been jailed for three and a half years and banned for five years.

The victim, David Wilson, received serious chest injuries in the crash on November 12, 2006, and suffered cardiac arrest as he was being removed from the wreckage. He was put on advanced life support but couldn't be revived.

Gary Tupper, 22, of Minter Avenue, Densole, Folkestone, appeared for sentence at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday having admitted causing death by dangerous driving when sentence was adjourned for reports.

Richard Travers, prosecuting, said Mr Wilson and his grilfriend, Carla Goodburn, and her son were returning home to Deal from the Ashford outlet centre about 5.45pm on the A258 at St Margarets at Cliff.

They passed one right hand turn and slowed down as they approached Station Road, another right hand turn.

At the mouth of the junction, Miss Goodburn turned to speak to Mr Wilson and saw headlights straight ahead. Their Citroen was hit in the driver's door by Tupper's Seat Leon which shunted the Citroen across the road and into a kerb. It rolled over into an adjacent field.

One witness later spoke of the Seat as coming over the brow of hill at a 'heck of a speed'.

Miss Goodburn suffered a factured neck, crushed ribs and memory loss. Her son had cuts and concussion.

Tupper later said as he came round the bend in Station Road he didn't realise how close the junction was and braked hard. The ABS kicked in, the car slid and the air bags went off. His girlfriend was also injured in the accident.

In interview, he denied dangerous driving but accepted possible careless driving because he had overshot the junction. He said he wasn't speeding. He thought the junction was about a mile off and was unfamiliar with the car because it was new and bigger than his previous vehicle.

Oliver Saxby, for Tupper, said he had ambitions to join the police and became a special constable while studying for a BSC in policing at Christchurch but resigned in October 2007.

He described Tupper as a decent young man, citing various references, but he would have to live with the responsibility for what happened.

He was quick to accept complete responsibility and Tupper had said he hadn't been concentrating and his inattentiveness combined with speed had led to the accident.

Tupper had shown massive remorse and regret, said Mr Saxby.

Sentencing Tupper, Judge Adele Williams, said nothing she said could put a value on Mr Wilson's life and his loss to family and friends was incalculable.

She said Tupper had been driving far too fast in Station Road and failed to stop, driving into the path of the on-coming vehicle.

"You killed David Wilson and seriously injured his partner. Her son was also injured. as was your girlfriend. This was very bad driving, albeit for a short period," stressed the judge.

She addedd that it fell into the intermediate catagory of seriousness.