A TEENAGE joyrider who killed a grandfather and left his daughter fighting for her life was jailed for what a judge branded "lethal" driving.

Jake McCabe said after the crash involving a stolen Hyundai Santa Fe and the victims' Ford Fiesta: "I just hit somebody . . . doing 70mph and wiped them out."

Andrew Corfield - well-known as the creator of spoof cartoon Boro Pat and as a charity fund-raiser - died in the collision in Hemlington, Middlesbrough.

The 39-year-old's daughter Alice, 17, suffered serious head injuries and remains in a coma in hospital, Teesside Crown Court was told today (Friday, December 5).

McCabe, 18, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years after he admitted charges of causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He was also banned from the roads for five years after pleading guilty to handling stolen goods, driving without a licence an driving without insurance.

In an impact statement, Mr Corfield's widow, Lisa, spoke of the family's fears over Alice's recovery, and said: "Are we going to have a second funeral?"

The Northern Echo:
The Corfield family: Lisa with Andrew, Owen, Alice and Amy

McCabe fled from the crash scene - in a 30mph zone at the junction of Fordyce Road and Cass House Road on October 28 - and initially claimed he was a passenger.

Prosecutor Sue Jacobs said McCabe was later seen “very shaken up”, with blood on his clothes and told a pal he had "wiped them out".

Zoe Passfield, mitigating, said McCabe - first in trouble as a 12-year-old for actual bodily harm - has a 17-month-old son and his partner is pregnant.

Extensive tributes were paid to Mr Corfield following his death, with neighbours in Hemlington describing him as a “lovely bloke” who “everyone round here knew”.

He was well known as a charity fundraiser after his son died from cot death in 1995, and the creator of Teesside's version of kids' favourite Postman Pat.

In an online tribute, Mr Corfield's son Owen said: “I’ve lost my dad, my role model my hero. I will always love you, you will never be forgotten."

The 19-year-old added: "There’s no words to describe how I’m feeling right now and why this happened to the kindest most loving man I have ever met in my life."

Mrs Corfield's statement said she has not had chance to grieve for her husband as the family has been consumed by spending time with Alice in hospital.

She said she and her husband talked things through as a couple, but the harsh decision about "whether to keep Alice alive" would be one she must face alone.

"It is a decision which will haunt me for the rest of my life," the

statement said. "We have no ending, we cannot plan any future, our lives are on hold.

"What type of life is Alice going to have if she survives, or are we going to find ourselves arranging a second funeral?"

"No matter what sentence is passed today, it is nothing compared to the life sentence we as a family are just starting."

McCabe, of Cramlington Close, Hemlington, was told by Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC: "You were singularly ill-equipped to drive safely, and you were driving dangerously and at speed.

"You did nothing to see if you could help those people you had injured and killed. The combination of your inexperience and that car was a lethal one to other road users."

The Northern Echo:
Flowers are laid at the scene of the crash in Hemlington

Mr Corfield had raised funds for the Lullaby Trust following the cot death of the couple's son Jack in 1995. Their daughter, Amy, 21, has two children.

Miss Passfield said: "Mr McCabe accepts that his behaviour destroyed a family. He is a young man who is showing very genuine remorse for his behaviour."

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Jermy said afterwards: "The defendant clearly gave no thought to the consequences of his actions . . . the ramifications of what happened have ripped a family apart and shocked a close-knit community.

"Whilst today's sentence will never compensate in any way for the tragic loss of Andrew or the on-going care and concern for Alice, who remains gravely ill, I hope that it does bring an element of closure for the family. Our thoughts remain with her and her family at this time."