Killer driver Ian Carr had 89 previous convictions - including one for causing the death of a friend in a stolen car.

Carr had already been banned twice when he took control of the stolen car which killed six-year-old Rebecca Sawyer.

He has appeared before courts for sentencing 25 times - collecting a total of 10 years behind bars.

However, he was given only 12 months youth custody after being found guilty of causing the death of another youngster in 1990.

Carr was jailed for causing a road death in 1991

On that occasion he was at the wheel of a stolen car which crashed in Ashington, just a couple of miles from the New Year's Eve tragedy.

One of his friends, 16-year-old Mark Wren, was left dying at the roadside.

Carr, then aged 15, fled the scene and asked others to lie for him and say Wren had been driving.

Wren had been left draped over railings at the scene of the smash by Carr before he then tried to frame him as the driver.

Carr had stolen the Metro car earlier that evening and was doing 90 mph when he lost control and it flipped over, flinging Wren from the vehicle.

He was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court in 1991, sentenced to 12 months youth custody and banned for five years.

Lifetime bans

In 1993 Carr was spotted driving dangerously in the Dumfries area of Scotland and, when pulled over by police, he reversed into a patrol car before leading them on a 25-mile chase at speeds of up to 90 mph.

For that, and other related offences, he was sentenced at Stranraer Sheriff Court in 1994 to 12 months in a young offenders institution and given two lifetime driving bans.

Only Scottish courts have the power to impose the lifelong bans but Northumbria Police have confirmed they applied to England as well.

In 1998 Carr was convicted of burglary and theft, obtaining property by deception, handling stolen goods and driving while disqualified.

He was sentenced to six years and nine months and was released from that sentence in October 2002, months before the fatal smash which claimed the life of Rebecca.

Northumbria Police described Carr as a "menace to the motoring public".

Inspector Paul Gilroy said Carr would never stop driving while he was out on the streets.

Custodial sentence

He said: "He has got an appalling record, particularly for driving.

"He is a menace to the motoring public and the only time he will cease to be that is when he is serving a custodial sentence.

"He will never be able to drive lawfully but whenever he is going to be free, the likelihood is that he will drive.

"He has never expressed any direct remorse or regret for what happened on New Year's Eve."