A biker who killed a cyclist hailed as the 'best father in the world' in a head-on crash has failed in a bid to get his driving ban lifted early.

Mitchell Young was jailed for 28 months last year for causing the death of cyclist Jurij Odinocenko by dangerous driving.

As part of his sentence, the Duns Tew man was banned from the roads for more than four years and told he must pass an extended retest before he could drive again.

Young was back before Oxford Crown Court on Monday after making an application to get his driving licence returned.

Judge Nigel Daly told Young that he did not have the power to return the licence, as he’d ordered the driver complete an extended retest.

He said: “The rules are I can’t do it. I would say, though, in the present circumstances bearing in mind you were disqualified for causing death by dangerous driving, the chances even if I did have the power of giving your licence back before the end of the disqualification would be extremely unlikely.

“The disqualification was there for a purpose. It was part of the sentence.”

Judge Daly added: “You killed someone.”

Young, who was not represented by a lawyer during the hearing and did not set out his reasons for wanting the return of his licence, told the court: “I just thought I’d ask and see how it went.”

Last year, the court heard that cyclist Jurij Odinocenko was pedalling southbound on the A4260 Banbury Road, near Kidlington, on October 15, 2018. He was on his way back from a job interview.

At around 6.30pm he stopped near the Sturdys Castle pub, waiting in his lane to turn right towards Woodstock.

CCTV footage showed a Range Rover driving northbound with Young riding behind on his Suzuki motorbike.

Young ‘drifted’ onto the wrong side of the road in an attempt to overtake the 4x4 but struck Mr Odinocenko head-on.

Despite the efforts of paramedics, the cyclist died at the scene. Young was treated in hospital for his own injuries.

In a victim statement, Mr Odinocenko’s daughter Natalia Baeva said: “He was not just the best father in the world, he was the best person in our life. This bereavement is the hardest and [most] irreplaceable loss for our entire family. He was loved by everyone who knew him.”

Young, who was 22-years-old and of previous good character when he was jailed, initially pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and the case was being prepared for a trial before he changed his plea.

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