A JUDGE was reduced to tears on Monday after reading the heart-rending words of a mother whose daughter was killed by a reckless teenage driver.

Judge Julian Hall had to leave the court part of the way through the case after reading the victim impact statement from the mother of Dr Margaret Davidson - who was killed when criminal Nolan Haworth smashed into her car near Deddington.

Haworth, 19, was driving "like a joyrider" as he raced to make it to a court hearing on May 18, swerving across double white lines and overtaking on blind bends in his Vauxhall Nova, Allan Mainds, prosecuting, said.

Witnesses couldn't believe what they were seeing as he sped along the A4260 near Deddington, he said. And, after dangerously overtaking a lorry on the brow of a hill, Haworth's car ploughed into Dr Davidson's vehicle, killing her instantly.

The recently qualified 26-year-old medic, who was engaged to be married and on the "threshold of her career", was described as "physically beautiful and fiercely intelligent".

At Oxford Crown Court, the tragic nature of the case became too much for Judge Hall as he was forced to leave the courtroom, wiping his eyes, after reading the statement from Dr Davidson's mother, Elizabeth.

Barristers were shocked by the unusual scene and it prompted Sergeant Peter Jell, the policeman in charge of the case, to say: "Our barristers were gobsmacked. They had never seen anything like it before.

"It's not like these judges have been doing this for a week or two. They are hard, toughened people, but he completely fell apart."

Judge Hall jailed Haworth, of Ribston Close, Hanwell Fields, Banbury, for four years after he admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

At the time of the accident, he did not have a driving licence, having previously been banned from driving, had no insurance and was driving a borrowed car.

Eyewitnesses estimated he was driving between 70mph and 80mph. The speed limit on the road is 50mph.

Judge Hall also sentenced him to four months imprisonment for affray - the charge Haworth was driving to court to face when the fatal crash happened - following an attack on two students last September.

Judge Hall told him: "It is with a terrible irony that you drove in this dreadful way because you were late for court.

"You did not give a care to anyone else on the road.

"It is remarkable that two people came forward to say they had seen you driving in such a bad way.

"You were clearly going too fast and clearly not caring at all. You lost control. You killed a thoroughly talented woman on the threshold of her career."

Haworth had two passengers in the car, one of whom was badly injured and required plastic surgery to reconstruct her face.

Judge Hall disqualified Haworth from driving for seven years, adding: "Until you grow up, you should not be on the road."

Dr Davidson was driving home to Kidlington after a long night shift at the Horton Hospital in Banbury.

Originally from Scotland, she had studied at Oxford University and also worked at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

After the case her family said: "Anything that can be done to change the law to discourage people like this man from driving should be looked at.

"Margaret's life was ruined by his actions and nothing can bring her back.

"Margaret had everything to live for. We all miss her so much."