A SUFFOLK man has been jailed for ten months after taking a car and speeding away from police while on licence for causing death by dangerous driving. David Pilmore, 24, was sent down for five years in October 2003, after his 16-year-old girlfriend Victoria Shreeve died when the stolen car he was driving crashed in Corton Road, Lowestoft.

A SUFFOLK man has been jailed for ten months after taking a car and speeding away from police while on licence for causing death by dangerous driving.

David Pilmore, 24, was sent down for five years in October 2003, after his 16-year-old girlfriend Victoria Shreeve died when the stolen car he was driving crashed in Corton Road, Lowestoft.

Pilmore, who was released on licence in February, was in court again on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to a string of motoring offences committed last month.

Peter Gair, prosecuting, said Pilmore was spotted by a police officer at around 4pm on Thursday August 16 after taking his brother's Ford Mondeo without consent in Lowestoft.

Mr Gair said: “The officer was in an unmarked vehicle when he saw the defendant and decided to stop the vehicle so activated the blue lights and siren.

“The defendant drove off at some speed and managed successfully to evade police.

“When he came to a stop he got out of the car and ran away.”

Pilmore was stopped and arrested by police just minutes later as he walked back into the town.

The court heard that Pilmore has been convicted of driving while disqualified on five separate occasions and that as a result of the death by dangerous driving conviction he is disqualified until late 2011.

Mr Gair said that on the tragic night in question Pilmore was driving at speed when he “lost control” of the car and hit a bollard.

Victoria Shreeve was one of five youngsters in the car at the time.

Andrew Oliver, mitigating, said Pilmore was “fully remorseful” for his “foolish actions” and had pleaded guilty to all the charges at an earlier court hearing.

Mr Oliver said: “It is quite clear he has struggled to come to terms with what happened and what effect his behaviour in 2002 has had.

“It is now that he realises he needs to come to terms with that.”

Recorder Gerard Pounder recalled Pilmore to jail for a period of six months for breaching the terms of his licence.

In addition Pilmore, of Leathes close, Lowestoft, was jailed for four months for driving while disqualified and was given a concurrent jail term of two months for taking a vehicle without consent.

No separate penalty was imposed for the offences of failing to stop, driving without insurance and not having an MOT.

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Parents' grief:

Speaking in the days after their daughter's death the parents of Victoria Shreeve told of their anger at what happened.

Carole and Peter Shreeve said they did not approve of the relationship their daughter had with Pilmore and didn't want people to think she was a joyrider.

Mrs Shreeve said: “She had everything to live for.”

Her father Peter said Victoria was a typical teenager who had never been in serious trouble.

“If she had known the car was stolen she wouldn't have got in.

“She wasn't that kind of girl at all.”