Drink driver who killed passenger on first date jailed

A drink-driver who killed her passenger on their first date has been sentenced to 28 months in jail.

Lauren Iles, 26, lost control of her mother's BMW as she raced another car and crashed into a tree, killing Michael McMahon, in November 2018.

Iles, from Leighton Buzzard, pleaded guilty at St Albans Crown Court to causing death by dangerous driving.

Judge Michael Simon said Mr McMahon, 28, was "a young man with everything to live for".

Iles, who escaped with only minor injuries, was more than one and a half times over the drink-drive limit.

She told police she had drunk a beer in the daytime and had two glasses of wine at a pub in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.

At 23:00 she drove out of Harpenden with Mr McMahon in the front passenger seat wearing a seat belt.

A witness said he believed Iles and a silver VW Golf were racing and estimating they were travelling at 80mph (129km/h) when the limit was 60mph (97km/h).

Iles drove on the wrong side of the road but when she tried to rejoin the correct lane the car rotated anti-clockwise and travelled sideways.

It hit a dustbin with a concrete base and the rear of the vehicle hit a tree.

Mr McMahon, from Luton, died from a broken neck and a bleed to the brain.

In a tribute statement, Mr McMahon's family described him as "a vibrant, fun-loving character with a great sense of humour".

Judge Simon said: "Nothing the court says or does can alleviate the tremendous pain felt by the family of Michael McMahon."

Iles, of Reeve Close, Leighton Buzzard, was also banned from driving for 3 years.