A SOLDIER who boasted that he liked to drive "wrecked" was jailed for five years yesterday for killing his friend.

Karl Jensen, 20, drank eight pints of "snakebite" lager and cider after taking amphetamines and Ecstasy.

Then he took two friends on a 100mph drive that ended when he crashed his black 1.6 Vauxhall Corsa Sport through a fence into a stream, drowning John Manders, 18, of Enderby Gardens, Hemlington, Middlesbrough.

His other passenger, Anthony Barker, 19, was also trapped under water but was saved by two villagers.

Jensen had been subject to a three-year driving ban after his second conviction for drink-driving, said Peter Johnson, prosecuting. A blood test after the tragedy, at Swainby, near Stokesley, North Yorkshire, showed traces of the drugs and that Royal Artillery Private Jensen was probably double the legal drink-drive limit.

Mr Barker told police later: "Karl said he liked driving when he was 'wrecked' and said the speedometer ranged from 80 to 100mph between Coulby Newham to Swainby Castle.

Two Swainby residents heard the crash and went to investigate. Villager Paul Roberts spotted Jensen escaping through the driver's door. Mr Roberts, helped by fellow resident Paul Hogg, managed to get the unconscious Mr Barker's head above water, but Mr Manders drowned.

Jensen had been driving his car to and from his barracks in Germany since he was banned in June last year, Teesside Crown Court was told.

After the crash, he made two attempts on his life, said Peter Makepeace, defending.

Jensen, of The Ridge, Coulby Newham, was sent to a young offenders' institution for five years and banned from driving for five years. He admitted causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink and drugs and driving while disqualified, on April 30.

Villager Mr Roberts was given £250 reward and Mr Hogg £200.