A DRIVER has been warned jail is “inevitable” after he admitted causing the death of a father-of-two in an horrific car crash in north Essex.

James Hore

A DRIVER has been warned jail is “inevitable” after he admitted causing the death of a father-of-two in an horrific car crash in north Essex.

Gurpreet Dhillon was driving a green Jaguar XK which overturned in Little Clacton, leaving his passenger Tony Proctor, 29, with life-threatening injuries which he later died from.

Dhillon appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and failing to provide a specimen of blood following the crash in Centenary Way at about 12.15am on September 27 last year.

The 29-year-old, who has been on bail, appeared in the dock inside the packed court room for the short hearing and spoke just to confirm his name and enter a guilty plea.

Judge George Bathhurst-Norman, released him on bail whilst a pre-sentence report is completed.

But he warned Dhillon, of Slough, in Berkshire, he faced prison.

“It was very serious and, to my mind, a custodial sentence is inevitable,” he said.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Proctor's mum and dad, Denise and Terry, of Corringham, south Essex, said they were relieved Dhillon had admitted the charge and spared them the trauma of a trial.

Mr Proctor said: “It has been terrible - words cannot describe really how we feel.

“We are hoping that the custodial sentence will be as long as possible as there is new legislation which allows judges to sentence for longer on traffic offences.

“It is something we have known all along that he was guilty but the police have made massive efforts to get it to this stage.”

And Mrs Proctor said her son was loved by all that knew him.

“When he walked into a room, the room lit up - he was very, very, very jolly and very loud.

“All his family and many friends loved him, he was always doing things for me and for his nan, Iris, like painting and decorating.”

Dhillon also faces charges of death by driving a vehicle whilst unlicensed and another of death by driving a vehicle whilst uninsured.

Samantha Leigh, prosecuting, said she would deal with those matters when Dhillon is sentenced later this year. .

Dhillon, of Langley Road in Slough, was granted conditional bail, until next sentencing next month.

james.hore@eadt.co.uk