Peter Standing's mother Penny wept and rested her head on her daughter Kate's shoulder during the inquest.

Coroner Veronica Hamilton Deeley expressed her condolences and reassured all three families at the Brighton inquest that their sons were entirely innocent victims.

Recording an open verdict, she said: "These were four young men happily holidaying together, behaving entirely properly. In no way did they cause or contribute to what happened to them.

"They were stationary on a quiet stretch of road shortly after midnight when, from behind them, comes the trailer driven by Mr Pitkin, who fails to see them."

Mrs Hamilton Deeley said visibility and the road surface were good. There was no major defect on the lorry apart from a fault on the full-beam lights control.

Pitkin had worked too many hours, was speeding and had significant levels of drugs in him, which were frequently used to combat fatigue.

She said these had a cumulative effect in causing the crash.

Mrs Hamilton Deeley was hamstrung from recording a stronger verdict.

She said: "Mr Pitkin has been acquitted. I cannot, therefore, recommend a verdict which flies in the face of the legal process."

Her findings will be sent to Queensland in the hope they will reduce the risk of similar crashes happening.

"I do not guarantee I will get a reply. I have not had many replies so far."