FINANCE consultant Darin Brownlee-Jones was today starting a four-year jail sentence after being convicted of killing a motorcyclist in a hit-and-run accident.

Relatives of victim Trevor Shearman called for tougher sentences after father-of-four Brownlee-Jones was unanimously found guilty at Lewes Crown Court.

Mr Shearman, 47, from Hove, was left dying in the road after the accident in Poynings.

Hours after the crash,

Brownlee-Jones was seen drinking champagne at a Brighton wine bar.

Mr Shearman's father Reginald, 76, accused his son's killer of "treating him like an animal."

Brownlee-Jones told the court he had left the scene because he had been drinking and feared being prosecuted for drink-driving.

The crash happened in Saddlescombe Road, Poynings, on September 29 last year.

The victim's father said last night that Brownlee-Jones should have got the maximum ten-year sentence.

Mr Shearman added: "There can't be many worse cases of causing death by dangerous driving. The law should be tougher if this man only gets four years.

"He knew he was over the limit. He leaves my son dying in the road as if he was animal, then goes drinking champagne knowing what he had done, and then initially tells the police he is not the driver.

"He will be out in two years. The law is not tough enough."

Mr Shearman, who saw front-line action during the war, added: "Even when you injured one of the enemy you called for First Aid. How this man could drive off, I just don't know."

Selfish

Victim Mr Shearman, of Lyndhurst Road, was just starting to build a new relationship with

his girlfriend Emma and her

nine-year-old daughter.

Sentencing Brownlee-Jones, of Oldbury Close, Horsham, Judge Richard Brown said he had little regard for the rules of the road.

He added: "Your alcohol-affected and selfish driving has taken away the the life of Trevor Shearman, left a father without a son, a partner without a partner and a child without a father figure. Life for them will never be the same.

"There can only be a custodial sentence in this case to show that driving in this manner is totally unacceptable"

Traced

Brownlee-Jones, who had denied causing death by dangerous driving, was also banned from driving for five years and told to take a test again before getting another licence.

The jury had heard that

Brownlee-Jones, who worked

for RAM Financial Services in Horsham, abandoned his vehicle in Hove, took a taxi and then booked into the Grand Hotel, Brighton.

With £500 cash he had withdrawn from a cash machine he bought two bottles of Dom Perignon champagne for £95 each.

He was sipping it when arrested three hours later by police who had traced him via his damaged car.

For several hours, he denied he was the driver of the Vauxhall

Calibra.

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