A young drink driver who took cocaine before killing his best friend in a high speed car crash has been jailed for three years.

Paul Manktelow, 25, was twice the legal limit when he lost control on a country road as he drove home from a pantomime.

The car skidded off the road and crashed into a telegraph pole.

His front seat passenger, Ross Christie, 19, died almost instantly from multiple injuries.

At Lewes Crown Court Manktelow, a carpenter, wiped away tears as he was jailed after admitting causing death by careless driving while over the legal drink drive limit and having no insurance.

Friends and relatives of Mr Christie, a builder, were in court. They described the popular teenager as having a "heart of gold."

The court heard the accident happened on the night of December 8, 2006 on the B2099 between Frant and the town of Wadhurst, where both men lived.

Manktelow, of Cockmount (corrt) Lane, borrowed a Ford Ka and drove to Frant with Mr Christie to see a panto staged by an amateur dramatic group and produced by Manktelow's mother.

During the show they were seen buying four cans of Stella lager. They had earlier been drinking in the White Hart pub in Wadhurst.

Richard Barton, prosecuting, told the court on the way home at about 11pm, Manktelow lost control on a left-hand bend and crashed the car, which had been borrowed from a friend, into a telegraph pole, knocking it over in the force of the impact.

He said the accident was caused by a combination of factors, including excessive speed.

There were no eye-witnesses but shortly afterwards a couple driving along the stretch of road came across the wreckage. Music from the car could still be heard playing loudly.

Mr Christie was declared dead at the scene. Manktelow was taken to hospital where he stayed for five days receiving treatment to his injuries, which included a head wound which has left him partially deaf in one ear.

From a blood sample taken nearly four hours after the crash, police investigators estimate at the time of the accident Manktelow was nearly twice the legal drink drive limit. Traces of cocaine were also found.

Mr Barton said a sample of Mr Christie's blood also showed alcohol and cocaine traces.

The court heard the death of Mr Christie, of Baldock Road, had left a family grieving, including his three brothers, Alick, Callum and Murrie. A statement from the family read out in court stated: "The impact on our lives in unimaginable. Ross was a caring, loving son, brother and grandson who had a heart of gold."

Rajeev Shetty, defending, said Manktelow, who has no previous convictions and a clean driving licence, remembers nothing about the crash.

He said: "This defendant on that fateful night committed a huge error of judgement which will be remembered for the rest of his life.

"This was no stranger in his car, it was his best friend. These two men did a lot together. They shared a similar sense of humour. Both these young men went around as a pair. They were charming, likeable and well-respected members of the community."

Mr Shetty said Manktelow had seen members of his dead friend's family in Wadhurst and they had given him a less than warm reception. But, he said, Manktelow wanted desperately to apologise to them.

He said the accident had forced Manktelow to grow up. He said: "He is a better man as a consequence of this terrible accident. He has learnt from his mistakes. He has asked me to impress upon the court how sorry he is."

Judge Anthony Scott-Gall jailed Manktelow for three years and disqualified him from driving for three years.

He told Manktelow: "No term of detention can in any way reconcile the family of the deceased victim to their loss. No sentence the court imposes can cure their anguish.

"In the wrong hands a motor vehicle can be, and often tragically is, a fatal weapon."

After the hearing Mr Christie's father, Mike Smith, welcomed the prison sentence but said it was not long enough. He said: "No sentence is ever enough but we are glad he has been jailed for this.

"Ross was well-liked throughout the community. He was happy, a fun lad, who was really popular and had lots of friends. His life was just cut short by mindless stupidity."

Mr Smith said the family were still devastated by the death of Ross and their agony had been prolonged by the time it had taken case to come to court. He said the family wished Manktelow had owned up to his guilt sooner instead of initially pleading not guilty to the charge.

He said: "It is bad enough losing your son, but losing him that way when he goes out at 7.30pm and is dead by 11pm. Ross will now never marry and have kids, he would have made a lovely dad. There is so much the family will now miss out."