A killer driver laughed when he was told to slow down on a journey which would end with one young passenger dead and her auntie critically injured.
Richard Elmore was driving his Peugeot 207 on the A167 Central Motorway, in Newcastle, with 24-year-old Demi Marie Burke in the back and her auntie, Colleen Main, in the front.
A court heard Colleen had asked Elmore to slow down as they headed into the city but he laughed - a sound she now struggles to get out of her head.
Newcastle Crown Court was told Elmore was only marginally above the speed limit when he lost control of his car, which went into a spin and smashed into a lamppost backwards.
Accident investigators concluded the accident was caused by driver error, from heavy braking and or rapid steering at speed and excessive speed was not a cause of the loss of control.
Demi, of Walker, Newcastle, who had been in a relationship with Elmore, died as a result of her injuries while Colleen suffered fractured vertebrae and ribs, punctured lungs and bleeding on the brain.
Elmore was originally charged with causing death by dangerous driving but prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to causing death by careless driving and he was jailed for eight months, of which he must serve half in custody.
Demi's mum, Kelly Maine, paid tribute to her first-born in a moving victim impact statement read to the court.
She said: "She was not just my daughter, she was my best friend as well.
"We were so close, always together, shopping and having girly nights in doing our nails and face masks.
"Losing Demi has totally blown us away. I'm in denial about what's happened, I'm still expecting her to come through the door, larger than life.
"I'm scared Demi will be forgotten, especially once the court case is completed.
"I could say so much more about Demi, I could go on and on about how much we all miss her and what she means to us."
Colleen added: "It's very difficult to even start to explain the effect on me and my family of the accident which resulted in the death of my niece.
"I thought of her almost like my daughter, she was always there for me, she always made me laugh.
"I still find it so hard to deal with the fact she's not here. I still think she will come and knock on my door again, like she did so often, then I realise that will never happen and it hurts so badly.
"I still get flashbacks about the accident, which was totally avoidable.
"I just think Richard Elmore didn't care at all about what he has done.
"I still remember so clearly him laughing in the car as he was driving. I can't get the sound out of my head."
She added: "I will never get over losing Demi. She was so young and had so much to live for, she was the life and soul and such a wonderful person.
"My home was full of laughter when she was here. Now it's quiet and so lonely.
"I have a lot of anger towards what happened and towards Richard. The situation has torn our family apart.
"We have lost such a lovely person, you couldn't help but love her, she made people smile so much."
It was around 11.05am on February 6 last year when Elmore was heading southbound on the A167, near Claremont Road, when the car suddenly rotated and crashed.
The two women were left trapped in the badly damaged Peugeot and had to be extracted by firefighters.
Colleen spent 12 days in the critical care unit at hospital while Elmore was also injured, although less seriously.
A police investigation revealed Elmore had picked up Demi and Colleen from Demi's mother's home in Slatyford to head into town.
Prosecutor Jolyon Perks said: "Colleen Main told the defendant through that journey he was driving too fast.
"She had asked him to slow down and the defendant laughed at her request to do so."
A taxi driver behind Elmore's car said he had moved from the nearside lane to the outside lane and appeared to brake heavily then spin before leaving the carriageway.
Witnesses estimated the car was doing around 75mph, the court heard. There were no drugs or alcohol in Elmore's system.
There were light snow showers at the time and the road was wet. Elmore's tyres were under-inflated but this was not a cause of the accident.
As well as the prison sentence, Elmore, of Bishop Auckland, will be banned from driving for three years when he is released.
Judge Robert Spragg said he must follow sentencing guidelines and added: "The sentence may to some seem woefully inadequate when the life of Demi was cut tragically short and I understand that."
Adam Birkby, defending, said the loss of control occurred as a result of driver error from heaving braking or excessive steering input while driving at just over the speed limit, in a car he'd had for just over a month.
He added: "Mr Elmore was not as badly injured at Colleen Main but it's had a significant impact on him, physically and psychologically.
"He has demonstrated genuine remorse and shown insight into the devastating impact it has had. He is truly sorry.
"The tragedy of this case is those who love and cherish Demi, whether it be friends or family or Mr Elmore, are all condemned to a life sentence."
After the case, Colleen said “We were like sisters. Demi had her whole life in front of her.
"She knew her mind and what she wanted to do but that has all been taken away from her due to the actions of Richard. The impact of this will stay with me my whole life.”
