A disqualified driver killed his girlfriend when the stolen car he was driving hit a wall at high speed.

Lee Bayliss, 28, of Banbury Road, Oxford, pictured, smashed the car into a wall in the village of Wytham, near Oxford, at 2pm on April 22, killing 32-year-old passenger Susan Fenton, of Oxford.

He was sentenced to four years in jail at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, after admitting aggravated vehicle taking, causing death by dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

Bayliss had been driving a Honda Prelude along Godstow Road and was entering Wytham when he lost control of the car.

He was convicted of dangerous driving in 1997 and had been caught driving while disqualified 16 times since.

Paul Reid, prosecuting, said: "The car went into the village at such a speed it was unable to take the corner at the T-junction and that's where the collision happened. The car skidded around the corner travelling sideways and hit the wall.

"She was killed instantly. He was hysterical and paramedics heard him say 'I've killed her'.

"It was clear the speed of the car was very high and greatly excessive for the manoeuvre."

Alistair Granger, defending, said: "He and Susan Fenton went everywhere together, they were inseparable, they did a drug treatment and testing order together. He had taken the car but he never thought anything like this would happen.

"This was a tragic incident but she was a willing participant. She went everywhere with him, a lot of these travels reflected their requirement for illicit street drugs. Mr Bayliss maintains he was not incapacitated with either drugs or alcohol at the time.

"He was devastated as a result and now he is just numb.

"He feels deeply for Susan's family, he cannot even begin to imagine their distress.

"This is something that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

"She was a person who was always there to support him. They both had their problems and she will never ever come back. Lee Bayliss has to face that his best friend and number one support is gone.

"It's taken a tragic incident like this for him to realise his conduct must change."

Judge David Morton Jack said: "Your dreadful driving killed your best friend. You had been driving while disqualified despite being warned countless times."

He told Bayliss he was banned from driving for 10 years for the protection of the public. Bayliss will be eligible for parole in one year and 101 days.