It was a Sunday evening in October when three young women clambered into a red Mini called Benny.

The pals were heading off to the pub. Flo McCabe had volunteered to drive home but she changed her mind. She drove her Mini home and got a lift to join her friends. They could always get a taxi.

The girls mingled and then decided to move to another pub, The Portland. How would they get there? Graham Travers stepped in.

He had borrowed a Mondeo from a friend - a friend who was unaware he had no licence - and now found himself drinking in the group with the nursery nurses.

Becky was reluctant to get in the car. Maybe she could sense Travers' agitation (he had argued with his girlfriend earlier), maybe she guessed he had been drinking too much.

When she did get in, she wished she hadn't. She still remembers the startling speed and the "vroom" of the engine.

Yet they arrived at The Portland safely and their evening continued as before until it grew late and, mindful they had to get ready for work the next day, they decided to call it a night.

Travers was their lift home.

The Irishman thought they would be safer getting a lift with him than walking the streets at night.

Vicki climbed in and sat in the seat behind the driver. Flo sat down beside her in the middle and Becky, still reluctant, got in last.

It was cramped in the car. Maybe they had no room to put on their seat belts, maybe there was just no time.

Travers put his foot down and the car shot off so fast Becky's head jolted backwards. This time she was really scared.

The streets were quiet and as the Mondeo roared down the road, people looked.

Travers was accelerating through the gears, his engine was screaming, he was doing speeds of more than 80mph ... and he had forgotten to put on his headlights.

Travers sat motionless yesterday as the final seconds of their journey were detailed to the court.

How the back of the car lifted and turned and twisted in the air before being propelled the final metres on its roof.

Those nearby could only watch as the bodies of three young women were thrown from the car.

It was a scene of carnage. Officers at the scene could recall none worse.

And amidst this devastation, Graham Travers crawled out of the car's window and walked away.