LEE Fitt's mother wept with relief at the verdict at the end of a seven-month trial. His father said: "To lose a son is unbearable but to lose him through sheer greed is unimaginable.

LEE Fitt's mother wept with relief at the verdict at the end of a seven-month trial.

His father said: "To lose a son is unbearable but to lose him through sheer greed is unimaginable."

Now at long last for Doreen and David Fitt, of Canterbury Road, Colchester, and Lee's sister Karen, 30, the waiting is over.

His mother, who had attended most of the trial said: "The waiting has been the hardest part. It's not a case of learning to live with the pain you just learn to block it out."

His father said: "Someone had to be made responsible for our son's death.

"If just one haulier reads this and learns of his death and it persuades him not to alter tachograghs then that would be something.

"We needed to know what happened that night. Whether Lee was in any way responsible.

"Now we know the truth. No one can bring him back but if this acts as a deterrent then it's something."

The decision to lodge a manslaughter charge against the director of a haulage company is highly unusual – the case against Graves is only the second in legal history.

Chief Inspector Tom Diment of Essex police, the senior investigating officer in the case said: "We had an obligation to investigate this death and we knew of a historical prosecution making it possible that there could be offences extending beyond the driver.

"We consulted with the CPS and barristers at an early stage taking legal advice in order to make this decision.

"We couldn't forget that this investigation was about the death of a young man and we were duty bound to investigate what happened in the death of Lee Fitt."

Today Mr and Mrs Fitt have only cherished memories of their beloved son, known to his niece and nephew Ryan and Lauren as Uncle Lee Lee.

Mrs Fitt said: "He was a wonderful, happy go lucky son but at the same time very ambitious. He was hoping to make his way in hotel management and had already worked at the Talbooth in Colchester."

Lee's parents' trauma was made even more agonised by not being able to see their son after his accident.

"We were told his injuries were too serious, so we never got to say goodbye."

After the sentence Mr Fitt said: "It's been a very long three years. Now we want to be able to put it all behind us and move on.

Lee Fitt's fiancée Sarah Norman, 34, who was with him at the time of the accident said she was happy with the verdict.