A CONVICTED killer from Dudley has been jailed for causing the death of a young mum in a horror car smash.

Relatives of tragic Nicola Robinson cheered as Ashley Lovekin was caged after Wolverhampton Crown Court heard the 31-year-old died instantly when the Peugeot driven by Lovekin crashed while racing an Audi.

At the time of the crash, Lovekin, aged 28 of Springfield Road, was out of prison on licence from a seven year sentence for manslaughter after he stabbed his mother’s boyfriend in 2008.

The mother-of-two was a front seat passenger in the car driven by Lovekin when he lost control and demolished a concrete bollard before careering onto the pavement, ploughing into a lamppost and ending up on its side on Birmingham Road near Wolverhampton.

The court also heard Lovekin had never had a driving lesson or held a licence or insurance and he admitted his only experience behind a wheel was driving go-carts.

Judge John Warner told him: “You pose a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm from further offending."

Lovekin admitted causing death by dangerous driving and a further charge of causing serious injury to another passenger in the car by driving dangerously - he was jailed for five years eight months.

The other passenger, Daniel Richards who was on the back seat, suffered a broken arm and leg and the court heard he repeatedly asked Lovekin to slow down before the crash.

Robert Price, prosecuting, said Lovekin had met Miss Robinson and Mr Richards in a Wolverhampton city centre bar and driven them away in the Peugeot which belonged to a friend of the dead woman.

Stephen Cadwaladr, for Lovekin, who was also disqualified from driving for eight years, said his client accepted his actions had been "blind stupidity."

He told the court that Lovekin knew the family and friends of Miss Robinson would hate him for what he did and it was something he would have to carry with him for the rest of his life.

In a victim impact statement the family described Miss Robinson, whose daughters are now aged 11 and eight, as a bubbly person who was much loved.

They added: "No matter what the outcome is nothing will ever be enough for us as a family. A beautiful life was taken too soon. Nicola will be massively missed by all her friends and family."

Mr Cadwaladr said Lovekin had opted to drive because he had been the only sober member of the group and no alcohol had been found in his system when he was tested by police.