Driver 'consumed with anger' killed girlfriend Charlie Burgoyne in high speed crash

A driver, who was "consumed with anger" when his speeding car careered out of control into a garden wall killing his teenage girlfriend, has been jailed for five years.

Arthur Pinches was travelling at 74mph in a 30 limit as he overtook a car whose driver told her passenger: "He is going to crash," a judge heard.

Seconds later the prophetic words came true as the 27-year-old's Gold Ford Mondeo approached a right hand bend too fast on the wrong side of Tansey Green Road, Pensnett shortly after midnight on May 23.

Pinches lost control, demolished the garden wall and took the life of his 17-year-old passenger, sweetheart Charlie Burgoyne, who died at the scene from serious head injuries.

He was over the drink drive limit but escaped without serious injury and said: "I have killed her haven't I? I wish it was me."

The defendant had a "blazing row" with his former partner earlier in the evening over Facebook comments about the role played by him in the care of their two children, revealed Mr Charles Crinion, prosecuting.

Then he stormed off to confront her brother at the Kingswinford reclamation plant were he worked as a guard, arriving at 11.55pm.

Pinches grabbed hold of the man through the bars of a locked gate at the site, breaking his glasses before leaping into the Ford Mondeo and accelerating into the gate with such force it was moved three feet slightly injuring the man, continued Mr Crinion.

Seven minutes later the defendant was still in an uncontrollable fury when he ploughed into the wall just a mile away, the court was told.

Mr Tim Harrington, defending Pinches, who was of previous good character, maintained: "He is a decent, hard working young man who made a terrible mistake resulting in the loss of the love of his life. He will have to live with that."

The defendant, from High Oak, Pensnett, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving dangerously earlier at the reclamation plant.

He was jailed, and banned from driving for four years on release, by Judge Peter Barrie, who told him: "You had a blazing argument earlier in the evening and were consumed with anger.

"You had completely taken leave of your senses, making you completely blind to the very high speed you were driving at and the way you were losing control of the car."

The defendant gave a blood sample of 145 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of alcohol over two hours after the tragedy.

The limit is 50.