A lorry driver has been sentenced to a community order after a jury decided he was responsible for the death of a motorcyclist.

Jeremy Nicholson collided with the trailer of 76-year-old Thomas Brooks’ Scania truck as he turned into a depot on London Road in Teynham, near Sittingbourne, on September 8 2013.

Brooks, of Christchurch Way, Dover, denied causing death by careless driving but was convicted yesterday by an 11-1 majority.

Judge Jeremy Carey imposed a community order for 15 months with only a requirement of residence for a year. He was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Mr Nicholson, 44, was travelling at twice the speed limit of 30mph when the tragedy happened at about 5.30am.

Brooks later told police he had seen the headlight of an oncoming vehicle before he started his turn across the single carriageway, but believed he had time for his lorry to complete the manoeuvre into the Fowler Welch Coolchain depot.

Prosecutor Nigel May said the turn into the depot took less than three seconds and the Honda motorcycle must have been “quite near”.

“When he instigated the right turn, was that a manoeuvre one would expect from a careful and competent driver?” he asked.

“Mr Brooks said to the police he could see on-coming headlights and he thought he had enough time - more than enough time - to make the right turn.

“But clearly he was wrong because the collision occurred.”

The accident was captured on two CCTV cameras at the distribution plant and played to the court.

Mr Nicholson, who lived in the Sittingbourne area and worked as a stock clerk for postal and logistics group DHL in Allington, near Maidstone, died at the scene.

Brooks was nearing the end of his regular night shift when he arrived at the depot. He told police he heard a loud bang and he jumped out of his cab and went to where Mr Nicholson was lying.

Mr May said Brooks had “badly underestimated” Mr Nicholson’s speed at a time when the dark hour made it even more necessary to be “extra careful”.

Judge Carey said the residence condition of the sentence was not a curfew.