UPDATED + NEW PICS: Gavin Roberts' family reacts after killer driver Lewis Stratford jailed

Lewis Stratford appeared at Reading Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for three years and eight months.

Lewis Stratford was jailed for three years and eight months today. Picture: INS News Agency

The court was told that the 24-year-old of Field Avenue, Oxford made a number calls to his girlfriend, Alice East, and accused her of cheating, moments before the crash at East Ilsley in June last year.

Within 34 minutes he had made three phone calls before losing control of his Vauxhall Corsa and crashing through the central reservation barrier into Australian Gavin Roberts' BMW.

The scene of the crash on the A34 in June last year. Picture: Thames Valley Police

Mr Roberts’ died of his injuries in hospital four days later. 

Prosecuting Alan Blake told the court Stratford said to his girlfriend 'if she hung up on him he would kill himself'.

It is thought that Stratford was travelling in excess of 70mph before he crashed through the central reservation. 

Mr Roberts' grieving girlfriend Meg Williamson ended her statement to the court in tears as she spoke about the 'love of her life.'

Having travelled half way around the world for his funeral she said: "We always talked about going to Australia together.

"I never imagined it would be in that way and for that reason."

"His spontenaity meant he would drop everything to fly across Europe or whisk me away for the weekend.

"I will never again see that cheeky smile and geeky laugh.

"Me not being able to tell him how much I love him or that I'm scared about the future is something I thought I'd never have to face. Good night my angel."

Meg Williamson arrives at Reading Crown Court for today's sentencing. Picture: Steve Parsons/PA Wire

Defending Stratford, Giles Newell, said he had been left with post-traumatic amnesia and post-traumatic stress disorder following the crash.

He said: "He knows it is of little or no comfort to Mr Roberts's family that he is wracked with guilt, regret and shame as a result of this.

"He was over emotional, he was distracted. Frankly whether a phone was in his hand or his mind was elsewhere it makes no real practical difference. He should not have been driving and he knows that.

"He can't remember anything about it. He was hospitalised himself, he had serious injuries but he knows he was, of course, the lucky one in relation to what happened."

As he was led away down to the cells Stratford mouthed the word 'sorry' to Geoff Roberts, Gavin's father, and Ms Williamson.

He was also disqualified from driving for four years and ten months, starting from the date of his guilty plea in January.

Family Tribute:

Mr Roberts' father Geoff flew in from Australia and had his arm around Meg Williamson, to listen to the court sentence today.

Geoff Roberts, Gavin's father, flew from Australia to attend the sentencing today. Picture: Meg Williamson/PA Wire ​

Speaking after the sentencing Mr Roberts said his son was a 'great mate to him.'

He said: "The last time I saw my son, Gavin, was three months before he died when we spent three days in Dublin together.

"I was on a trip to Ireland from our native Australia and he came to meet me.

"We had a good time. We always did. He was a great mate to me.

"He was a good mate to other people too. Gavin made friends easily, that’s who he was.

"Every day he was in England he called friends and family in Australia, keeping in touch with everyone, seeing how they were.

"The last contact I had with him was the day before he died when I had booked a trip to Europe which included four days in London.

"I emailed him to ask what we could do together during that time. I never got a reply."

Mr Roberts said his son left Australia to become an electrial engineer and started work in the UK in February 2016.

Gavin Roberts was killed on his way to work on the A34 in June last year. Picture: Meg Williamson

He added: "Gavin’s friends in England were wonderful to us and looked after us.

"Later in Australia we held Gavin’s funeral. It was overwhelming how many people were there.

"Gavin wasn’t a politician or a famous person but people liked him, they really liked him. Everyone wanted to pay their respects to him.

"He was a great guy, a delightful person. I am very proud that he was my son.

"At his funeral I found out that Gavin had made a pact with his brother to return to Australia after a couple of years in England so that in the future the two of them could bring up their kids together."

A statement written by Gavin's mother Rose Joshua was read out in Reading Crown Court in which she expressed forgiveness towards the man who killed her son - 'the youngest of my three beautiful boys.'

She said: "I can think of no greater way to honour him than to move on in a positive way.

"Lewis, I want you to know that you have my forgiveness and also my compassion.

"I know you didn't mean this and I would not wish your life to be destroyed by what's occurred."

Speeding petition:

Ms Williamson launched a petition in the weeks following Mr Roberts' death calling to reduce the speed limit from 70mph to 50mph and install speed cameras along the A34.

Gavin Roberts and his partner Meg Williamson.

It has now reached more than 2,400 signatures and Mr Roberts’ brother, Brendan Tuck was one of the many people to sign it.

Ms Williamson, an English teacher, who lives in Swindon, described her partner as 'radiating energy' and was a 'wonderful person.'

On Monday night she met with Stratford, who admitted causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing in January at Reading Crown Court.

Ms Williamson told the Oxford Mail she did not feel angry anymore about the death of her boyfriend and said she wanted to use her grief and pain to prevent similar tragedies happening again.

She added: “I wanted to meet him [Stratford] straight away when we were at the hospital, but I think at that point it was more anger.

“The hardest part was starting the conversation.

“He is just a normal person. Anybody can make that stupid mistake and can be distracted. He was very compassionate with how he was feeling.”

For more information or to see the petition visit: http://bit.ly/2ki6FF6

Law Changes:

On Wednesday mobile phone use behind the wheel became punishable by a new £200 fine and six points on a driver's license.

In Oxfordshire the police are also not offering a driver awareness course as an alternative to the penalty in a bid to crack down on the offence.

Senior investigating officer Sergeant Beth Walton, from Thames Valley Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "This case tragically evidences that distractions whilst driving do have and will continue to have catastrophic consequences, unless there is a change in some driver's attitudes. 

"A combination of speed, mobile phone distraction and emotions in this case led to the collision and loss of Gavin Roberts' life, a young man with everything to live for. His family and friends lives shattered by his loss.

"This collision was preventable and would never had happened if Lewis Stratford had made different choices that night. 

"His life has been affected, his life changed forever and the impact of his prison sentence and driving disqualification will continue to affect his life following his release.

"I hope the sentence today, and a change in law to increase penalties which came into place this week, will further highlight how seriously these offences will be taken and should encourage motorists to think twice before speeding and picking up the phone.

"I would ask people to think, think about the consequences I've mentioned, if you speed, if you use your mobile phone whilst driving then stop doing it and encourage those that you know who also do it, to stop."