A PROBATION officer whose reckless driving killed a young woman driver was jailed for 30 months on Friday last week.

David Firbank pulled onto a motorway without looking, causing another car to swerve and catapult across the road.

The impact killed 28-year-old Miss Nichola Payne from West Crescent, Darlington.

Miss Payne died when the Vauxhall Corsa she was driving spun onto the opposite side of a dual carriageway and landed on its roof.

Her two passengers miraculously survived the crash on the A1M on September 7 last year. The three, recruitment officers for Orange, were returning from a Tyneside conference.

Newcastle crown court heard how the car was forced to swerve after Firbank, 44, pulled out in front of them as he joined the A1M.

Prosecuting, Mr Stephen Duffield told the court: "David Firbank pulled out into the Al in front of Nichola causing her to have to take evasive action.

"She lost control of the car as she swerved into her right to avoid the Peugeot coming to her from the left.

"The back end of her car swerved round and the car struck the central reservation. It went up into the air and landed on its roof on the north-bound carriageway on the other side of the road.

"Nichola suffered grave head injuries of which she died. Her death was caused by the manner of driving of Mr Firbank - it was dangerous driving,"

Front-seat passenger Lisa Matson told the court how Firbank was driving so close to Nichola's car she could have touched him.

She added: "It was as if he wanted to be on the road where we were, we moved and he just kept coming. If Nichola hadn't moved the car he would have hit us. She swerved towards the outside lane.

"At that point we were aware we were going to crash the car and she lost control towards the central reservation.

"The next thing was the car was on its left side, my side of the car was on the floor, I remember impact and then nothing."

Firbanks, of Ryelands Way, Pity Me, stopped his car at the scene.

He told police that Nichola was already struggling to keep control of the car when he spotted her in another lane.

He denied causing death by dangerous driving, but the court found him guilty. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and banned from driving for four years.

After the verdict was announced Nichola's father, Allan, said he would never forgive Firbank. "He's still alive, my girl isn't. She was a fantastic girl."

Nichola was the only daughter of Mr Payne and his wife, Pat, who also have a son.

Nichola, a former pupil of Branksome school, was a member of Darlington operatic society and had performed in a number of shows in the area, including playing the lead in musicals at the civic theatre