A DRIVER who fell asleep at the wheel moments before his car ploughed into the back of a lorry, killing his passenger, was jailed for two years yesterday.

Scott Killeen, 23, was also banned from driving for seven years after admitting causing the death by dangerous driving of his friend, Michael Peter Blake, and driving without insurance.

Durham Crown Court heard it was likely that 28-year-old Mr Blake was also asleep at the time of the collision, on May 9, on the AI(M) near the Bradbury interchange.

The court was told that Killeen and Mr Blake, a telecommunications company manager from Merseyside who had been living in Jesmond at the time of the accident, had travelled to Liverpool to watch the Premiership match between Everton and NewcastleUnited at the end of last season.

Both men had gone to a nightclub, where Mr Blake, an Everton fan, had been thrilled to meet the club's manager, David Moyes, and some of the players celebrating their qualification to the Champions League.

Before setting off for home, Killeen, who had consumed soft drinks for the most of the day, agreed to drive.

Lesley Kirkup, prosecuting, said that as their Ford Focus neared the Bradbury interchange, at 4.50am, it crashed at speed into the back of a lorry, resulting in the death of Mr Blake.

Ms Kirkup said that subsequent investigations indicated that Killeen, who had not slept for 17 hours, had fallen asleep at the wheel.

David Lamb, mitigating, said that Killeen, who was of previous good character, was a hard-working and honest young man.

"He did not feel fatigued on the night he was driving, but accepts that the evidence points to him having fallen asleep," said Mr Lamb

He added: "He will never forgive himself for what happened that night and will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life."

Sentencing Killeen, the Recorder of Durham, Judge Richard Lowden, said: "You fell asleep at the wheel and drove your car smack into the back of the lorry in front of you while driving at a high speed."

He added: "I have no doubt that you are devastated by what you have done."