A SPEEDING driver who killed his friend in a horror smash after he had been drinking and taking cocaine has been jailed.

Carl Leonard crashed into a tree, killing backseat passenger, 23-year-old care worker Lindsay Neale.

They had been on their way to the home of Miss Neale’s parents in Little Lever for a family gathering as her brother, Karl, was home for the weekend from serving with the RAF.

Miss Neale, of Alder Street, Great Lever, suffered serious head injuries and had to be freed from the wreckage by firefighters.

She was pronounced dead at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Leonard and Miss Neale’s boyfriend, Reece Armstrong, suffered minor injuries.

Leonard was yesterday jailed for four years at Bolton Crown Court after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to causing death by dangerous.

Judge William Morris criticised the 27-year-old’s “cavalier” attitude to driving.

The court heard Leonard’s Ford Focus, which was travelling “well in excess” of the speed limit, hit two trees and crashed into a parked van as it was travelling along Gilnow Road on March 26 last year.

Mr Armstrong told Leonard to slow down moments before they crashed on a bend, the court was told.

Leonard and Mr Armstrong had been drinking at Scott’s bar at Middlebrook Retail Park earlier in the day.

Leonard drove to the cinema to meet Lindsay, and she took over driving the Ford Focus down Chorley New Road at speed, the court heard.

She stopped near the junction with Tudor Avenue and Leonard took over driving. He was just over the limit with a reading of 118mg of alcohol in his urine. The legal limit is 107.

Leonard also admitted taking half a gramme of cocaine, but the judge said he could not be sure if the drug taking would have had an effect on his driving.

Judge Morris read out a statement from Lindsay’s family, which said: “Lindsay loved her family, friends and life.

“She had recently spoken about wanting children.

“Lindsay and Reece had been together for three years and had built a loving home together. They were extremely happy and loved one another. Reece was absolutely devastated.

“The whole family has been affected by her death.

She was happy and social and absolutely lit up a room. She was always smiling.”

David Toal, defending, said: “He knows there will be a prison sentence and he knows however long it is, it will never be equal to that felt by Lindsay Neale’s family.

“He wishes to apologise.

He is desperately sorry for what he has done and he knows he will never forget it.”

Judge Morris, sentencing him and banning him from driving for five years, said: “The speed limit on that road is 30mph and it is clear you were driving well in excess of that speed.

“When you got behind the wheel, you knew you had been drinking and taking cocaine and that demonstrates a cavalier attitude to driving.”