The devastated mother of a young woman killed in a car crash has vowed she will be waiting for the driver when he is released from jail.

Graham Travers was today beginning a five-and-a-half year jail sentence for causing the death of Natalie McCabe, 21, from Shoreham, and her friend Victoria Browne, 19, from Brighton.

The two girls and their friend Rebecca Fish were passengers in a car which crashed in Portland Road, Hove, on the night of October 12 last year.

Natalie, known as Flo, died at the scene. Vicki lost her fight for life a month later in hospital.

Becky, 20, from Hove, lost one leg and suffered serious injuries to the other. She has only just been released from hospital.

The court heard Travers was almost twice over the legal drink-drive limit and was driving without a licence or insurance when he borrowed a friend's car to give the women a lift from the pub.

The Ford Mondeo is believed to have been travelling at about 60mph - twice the speed limit - when it crashed.

Travers lost control and the car crossed the road, mounted the pavement, hit a lamp post and spun over in mid-air.

It landed on top of a parked Ford Sierra, then skidded along the road on its roof.

The three women were flung from the vehicle and debris was scattered 150 metres along the road.

Police officers said it was one of the worst accident scenes they had ever seen.

Travers climbed from the wreckage and was found by police cowering in a doorway nearby.

After he was sentenced, Flo's mother Jane McCabe said: "I will be outside waiting, whenever he is released."

Travers, 21, a barman, of Shelldale Road, Portslade, stood in the dock with his head bowed as he was sent to jail.

The girls' heartbroken loved ones wept openly.

Grieving friends and relatives said Travers deserved a longer sentence.

The maximum term for causing death by dangerous driving is ten years.

But a spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said there would be no appeal against the length of the sentence.

Flo's parents, wearing red and white T-shirts bearing the words "You don't need a licence to kill", called the sentence an insult.

Mrs McCabe said: "I don't see any apparent remorse.

"I see somebody who is only 21 and who will be back living a normal life in two years' time. In two years we will not have Flo back.

"Our lives are totally devastated. I really don't see how two years can be right. We are just after a sensible sentence for an horrendous crime."

Her husband Ray said: "It is an insult to us and our family. He will now serve only one year for each girl's life."

The couple are launching a campaign demanding stiffer penalties for illegal drivers who kill and will be collecting signatures for a petition in Churchill Square, Brighton, at the weekend.

Mrs McCabe said: "The law needs to be changed regarding the displaying of documents. Licences and insurance documents should be displayed in car windscreens at all times."

Flo's grandparents, Gerald and Irene McCarthy, both disagreed with the sentence.

Mr McCarthy, 75, from Upper Beeding, admitted he wanted revenge for his granddaughter's death and vowed: "If I was a younger man I would hunt him down.

"Flo should be standing at our funeral, we shouldn't have been standing at hers. But in a way we were the lucky ones because our granddaughter didn't suffer."

He added: "It was a hard job not to leap over when I heard the sentence. It is just disgusting."

Flo's grandmother, who is 73, said: "I just hope that judge can sleep at night. It's not justice. We don't want to know about his remorse. I hope he looks over his shoulder for the rest of his life."

Vicki's mother, Tarnyar, sobbed as she read a statement.

She said: "Mother's Day and her birthday in a few weeks' time will be very difficult days for us.

"A young man has been sentenced to pay the price but the sentence for his act of sheer stupidity is an insult to us all."

Vicki's uncle Dale Porre said: "Vicki's dad is in tears and distraught. He is devastated. He feels let down, gutted and cheated by today. That man will be out in three years and he'll have a life. Vicki and Flo received a death sentence."

Vicki's grandmother, Dawn Sutton, said: "I thought justice would be done but the sentence was not fair."

Becky did not attend the hearing.

Mrs Sutton said: "She is still suffering and has got to live with her injuries for the rest of her life."

Vicki's great-uncle Nigel Killock said the girls were sensible and he believed the only reason they were not wearing seat belts was because they had not time to do them up before the car pulled away.

Sentencing Travers, Mrs Justice Anne Rafferty criticised his "cowardly behaviour" in running away from the accident.

She told him: "Your driving was an exercise in arrogance.

"Like a petulant child you indulged your temper but you did so using that most dangerous of weapons, a car.

"It is not accurate to say you ruined three lives since you have blighted many more - those that loved and love them and those that love you.

"Nothing this court can do can right your wrongs."

The judge praised passer-by Mark Goodwin, 20, who witnessed the crash and rushed to help.

She told him: "I congratulate you for everything you tried to do for those innocent girls. You acted in a way anyone would be proud of."

She said Mr Goodwin, who lives in Uckfield and is retail manager at Hove Cycles, would be awarded a sum of money from public funds.

Stella Reynolds, defending Travers, said: "It is ironic that in wanting to take these girls home he thought it would be safer than if they were walking the streets.

"He never intended to cause harm to anybody. His references from far and wide say he is a young man from a good family who was bought up to know the difference between right and wrong."

After the hearing, Travers' family expressed in a statement their "deepest and heartfelt sympathy" to the girls' parents and families.

It said: "No words could ever express how we have felt for them since that terrible night.

"To Rebecca we pray from the bottom of our hearts that God will give her strength to get her through the long road to recovery.

"Everyone will be in our thoughts and prayers for as long as we live."

Travers admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and charges of drink-driving and driving without a licence or insurance.

He was banned from driving for five years.