A BANNED driver who killed a father-of-two during a stolen car chase showed no remorse yesterday as he spoke about the tragedy for the first time.

Barry Taylor told an inquest into the death of 52- year-old Billy Forrest: “I was trying to get as close as I could to home, to a local prison nearer for my family.”

As 23-year-old Taylor recalled the incident on the A1(M) in County Durham last July, Mr Forrest’s partner, Edna Pate, broke down in tears and had to be led from the court.

After coroner Andrew Tweddle instructed the jury to return a verdict of unlawful killing at the end of the four-day hearing, at Chesterle- Street, Mr Forrest’s family criticised the decision to make Taylor give evidence, saying it had been “a distressing experience, made worse”.

Taylor was being pursued by police when he collided head-on with Mr Forrest, of Walbottle, Newcastle, as he was driving to work at Sense Creativity, in Yarm Road, Darlington.

Jailed for ten years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving, Taylor, who is from the Chester-le- Street area, told yesterday of the moments before the stolen Mitsubishi he was driving catapulted over the central reservation and into the path of Mr Forrest’s Peugeot.

He was reluctantly called to the inquest by Mr Tweddle at the insistence of Police Federation solicitor Damian Kelly, and when he emerged, flanked by three security officers, he was told he was not on trial.

Wearing a grey hooded top with dark stripes, he appeared gaunt and was barely audible at times.

Taylor admitted having smoked cannabis and being intoxicated when he burgled a house in Pelaw, Chester-le-Street, in the early hours of Friday, July 18, stealing a mobile phone, a bottle of gin and the keys to the Mitsubishi.

He was spotted by police near Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and refused to stop during an 11- mile pursuit, which went north along the A1(M) at speeds of up to 110mph.

Taylor, who was followed by up to five patrol cars, told the inquest: “I just wanted to get back home. I thought I was much further down the A1 than I was.

“I knew that I was going to go to prison, because I was out on licence.

I wanted to get home and I was worried I would run out of petrol, because the red light was on. I was trying to get as close as I could to home, to a local prison nearer for my family.”

Taylor, who has never held a licence, admitted his driving had been dangerous and aggressive “part of the time”.

But he said the only time he was erratic was when he was trying to avoid patrol cars carrying out an approved boxing manoeuvre.

Taylor, who said he could not remember much about the accident, was asked if watching helicopter video footage would refresh his memory. He replied: “Possibly.”

With the verdict returned and Taylor sent back to prison, Mr Forrest’s family issued a statement, read by Holly Clegg, of Hay and Kilner Solicitors.

“As a family, we have been devastated by the loss of Billy,” they said.

“The inquest has been a very distressing experience, made worse because Barry Taylor was called to give evidence.

“Both ourselves and our legal advisors were of the view that there was nothing that he would be able to say that would assist the inquest, over and above what was contained in the written transcripts of his police interviews.

“Having listened to his evidence today, this view has not changed.”

Mr Forrest, the family said, “was simply a lovely person, somebody who had time for everybody and a devoted family man”.

“Nothing can compensate us for the loss we have suffered,” they added. “For us, the inquest was about speaking up for Billy and we would like to thank the Coroner for North Durham, Mr Tweddle, for his thorough, professional and full investigation.”

Earlier in the proceedings, the inquest was told that the wire barrier dividing the carriageways at the crash scene had been designed to contain a 1.5-tonne vehicle travelling at 70mph and striking it at a 20 degree angle.

Taylor’s Mitsubishi weighed two tonnes and struck the barrier at more than 80mph.