A NORTH Yorkshire man has been jailed for dangerous driving after a "race" with a friend ended in double tragedy.

Nigel Christian Dove, 26, of Orchard Close, Appleton Roebuck, set off from home at 9.15am on Sunday January 20, intending to go to a computer fair in Doncaster with a friend, Selby magistrates heard.

Twenty minutes later two people had lost their lives in a road accident.

Andrew Moore, prosecuting, said Dove and his friend, Jason Roberts, 25, of Hambleton, near Selby, were driving separate cars, both Vauxhall Vectras, in tandem down the A162 near Sherburn-in-Elmet.

He said the two cars were driving at high speed and that Mr Roberts collided with another car, a blue Ford Escort, killing both himself and its driver Jean Walker, 62, from Clifford, near Wetherby.

He said that while Dove was not directly responsible for either of the deaths the only wholly innocent party was Mrs Walker who had been driving safely.

He said that one witness, who was overtaken by both cars on the A162, said that Dove was driving so fast he thought his own car was standing still.

Mr Moore said the witness, who described the accident as "complete carnage", told police: "I would say they were both together and were racing each other."

Mr Moore said that another witness, who was travelling in the opposite direction said that both drivers had a "total disregard for road safety".

Iain Cutts, mitigating, said that Dove fully admitted driving over the speed limit and was genuinely remorseful.

He said: "He lost a very close friend, who he had known since he was 11 and who had been in a relationship with his sister for eight years."

He said the friends had worked together at Excel Logistics in Sherburn-in-Elmet, but that Dove had been too traumatised to return to work after the accident.

He said: "He has already been punished greatly."

Dove, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, was sentenced to three months in prison.

He was banned from driving for two years and must take an extended driving test to regain his licence.

Mrs Walker's sons, Ian and Paul, who were present at the court, said they were reasonably satisfied that justice had been done.

They said: "Hopefully someone can learn from this. Our mother was totally innocent and just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Updated: 11:23 Saturday, October 05, 2002