Dafydd Evans was said to be a "broken man" after the crash

Dafydd Evans was found guilty in January of causing the death by dangerous driving of Darren Beynon, 24, of Five Roads near Llanelli.

Mr Beynon died when his machine hit Evans' company Mercedes as it emerged from a junction into his path.

His family said "justice has been done" after Evans, 41, of Penylan, Cardiff, was jailed for three years on Tuesday.

Evans sobbed as Judge Eleri Rees, sitting at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, passed sentence.

His barrister said he had been left "broken and shattered".

The director of Llanelli-based TV production company Tinopolis, had been on bail since he was convicted at his trial at Swansea Crown Court in January.

He had denied the charge, insisting that he had not driven dangerously and claimed Mr Beynon, who was in a convoy of bikers, had been speeding.

There is no doubt he is absolutely terrified Evans' barrister, Hefin Rees

But the judge dismissed pleas for a non-custodial sentence, even though Evans' defence said a psychological report warned that he could possibly become suicidal.

She told Evans nobody would ever know where he had fled to after the crash.

He was returning from a christening in Llandeilo with his best friend Henry Jones-Davies, editor of Cambria magazine, and Mr Jones-Davies' 11-year-old son in October 2004.

As Evans pulled out of a junction along the A40 near the Dryslwyn crossroads , his silver Mercedes was hit by the motorcyclist.

Our son can now rest in peace knowing that justice has been done Darren Beynon's family

Witnesses described how the Yamaha machine exploded into a fireball. Mr Beynon was catapulted into undergrowth and died instantly.

During the trial Evans denied claims that he had drunk white wine and champagne in addition to a beer and glass of red wine, which he admitted drinking at the christening.

He claimed the impact of the crash left him concussed and that was the reason for him wandering away from the scene, minus his glasses.

A police helicopter and tracker dogs spent almost two hours combing the area for him without success.

Evans told the trial jury that he lay face down in a field for much of the night and wandered to Mr Jones-Davies's home, several miles away, the following morning.

They then went together to a police station where he was arrested and breathalysed, giving a negative test result.

In debt

Evans, director of development at Tinopolis, which makes programmes for the BBC, ITV, S4C and Channel 4, denied allegations during the trial that he had been drinking and had left the fatal accident scene through fear he was over the legal limit.

Evans' barrister Hefin Rees told the court on Tuesday that his client was a broken and shattered man, who had lived like a hermit since the accident.

A jail sentence would have "a very severe effect" on him, said Mr Rees. As well as the suicide warning, Evans had expressed thoughts of self-harm during interview.

"There is no doubt that he is absolutely terrified," said Mr Rees.

The TV executive had spent �90,000 - money raised with his family - mounting his defence, he added, and Evans had debts of �55,000.

In a statement after sentencing, Mr Beynon's family said: "We would like to thank everyone who gave evidence during the trial, without them we would not have had the result we've had today.

"Our son can now rest in peace knowing that justice has been done".