DISTRAUGHT family members last night blasted the prison sentence given to a drink-driver responsible for the deaths of a father and son.

Mark Sidney Murray, 22, was jailed for five-and-a-half years after admitting causing the deaths of Malcolm 'Mally' Gellatly, 48, and his 28-year-old son, Shaun, by dangerous driving, plus driving with excess alcohol.

The pair, both rear seat passengers, were thrown from Murray's Rover 400 car, which left a road at high speed and rolled several times before coming to rest in a tree, off the A177 road in Bowburn, near Durham.

Mr Gellatly, of Westfield Way, Redcar, in east Cleveland, and his son, of Park Avenue, in nearby Coxhoe, were being given a lift from Durham to Shaun's home by Murray when the crash happened in the early hours of Sunday, June 13, last year.

Durham Crown Court was told witnesses estimated that he was driving at a speed of between 90 and 100mph before losing control on a bend approaching Bowburn, and clipping a kerb.

Murray, who crawled out of a car window after briefly being knocked unconscious, was one-and-a-half times the legal drink-drive limit.

He had 127mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.

Murray's partner, Ashleigh Robertson, was carried, injured, from the front passenger seat window by firefighters.

Murray, of Salvin Street, Spennymoor, told police he had drunk five pints of diesel - a mix of cider, lager and blackcurrant juice - at a colleague's birthday party and then in pubs in Durham.

Lesley Kirkup, prosecuting, said on climbing from the car, Murray said: "What have I done, what have I done?

"I've done that. I've killed them. I'm going to prison."

He told a police officer at the scene: "How come I look like this and they look like that?

"I want to go to prison."

Christine Egerton, for Murray, said he had little memory of the incident, but admits having been "stupid" by driving after drinking.

"He has expressed the deepest regret at the outcome and extended a sincere apology to the families of the deceased.

"He is very sorry for what happened."

Jailing Murray, Judge Richard Lowden said: "No length of prison sentence is intended, or can possibly measure against the worth of the lives lost."

Speaking after the hearing, Malcolm's former wife, Sandra Clements, the mother of Shaun, and Shaun's wife, Amanda, both said: "It's just not long enough."

Ms Clements said: "As far as we're concerned, he's taken away two fantastic men. We are left leading a life sentence. He's ripped my life apart."

Mrs Gellatly said: "I've got nothing left, Shaun was my whole life."

Shaun worked at the Electrolux factory in Newton Aycliffe, and his father worked at Bowcroft pre-casting, in South Bank, Middlesbrough.