A DRUGGED-UP driver who left a mortally injured friend in his crashed car following a police chase said he is "riddled with guilt" as he was caged today.

Mark McCormack, 30, drove into the wrong side of road and towards incoming traffic in the Honda Civic while being chased by cops before losing control on a bend at 84mph.

The vehicle smashed into a lamp-post, a telephone box and a telegraph pole with such force that they all snapped in half.

Tragic passenger Declan Blackburne, 21 – who was being given a lift home – was left severely hurt in the wreckage as McCormack fled the scene on foot.

The victim died in hospital 13 days after the crash at 12.45am in the Cheadle area of Stockport on Thursday November 24 last year.

When McCormack  handed himself into police later that day he was five time the drug driving limit from taking cocaine and cannabis before the crash.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, McCormack was caged for six years today after earlier admitting causing death by dangerous driving.

In a letter of apology read to the court McCormack said: "Words cannot describe the anguish I feel for Declan, his friends and family.

"I know there are no words I can say, it's simply unforgivable.

"The tragic events that have transpired, taking the life of a 21-year-old, causing heartache to no end.

"I wish it was my life that was taken that night.

"I'm riddled with guilt. I feel empty inside and no longer feel I deserve the life I was spared."

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McCormack held his head in his hands as CCTV of the crash was played to gasps from the public gallery.

Prosecutor Miss Lisa Boocock explained that police decided to stop the car when it was travelling at up to 50pmh in a 30mph zone – but McCormack refused to stop and did a lap of a pub car park.

Miss Boocock said McCormack accelerated away, ending up in an opposite carriageway and failing to stop or give way at a junction.

"The officer started to lose a little bit of ground, such was the speed at 80 to 85mph," added the prosecutor.

"The defendant crossed over the line, driving towards oncoming traffic and increased his speed to 90mph before returning to the correct side.

"He turned left at 84mph and lost control going over on to a central grass verge and uprooting a telegraph pole between 78 and 80mph.

"The telegraph pole and a lamppost were both snapped in half.

''The defendant abandoned the vehicle, quickly and climbed out of the window but Declan was left in the passenger seat and had sustained very serious injuries and had to be cut from the vehicle by the fire service.''

McCormack has a previous conviction for jumping a red light and was in breach of a suspended jail term for assault.

He has now been banned from driving for eight years.

After the hearing, Greater Manchester Police sergeant Mark Thomas said: “This was a completely avoidable incident which resulted in the death of a man, leaving his family devastated.

“There is no excuse for driving dangerously and Mark McCormack will have to live with the fact that his stupidity that morning caused this man’s death.”

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