A MOTORIST whose van drifted into oncoming traffic, killing another driver, “more than likely fell asleep”, a judge was told.

Tyrone Brackett was jailed for 20 months at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, having earlier admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

The 26-year-old, of Saunders Road, East Oxford, said he has no memory of what caused the crash on the A361 near Burford.

Brackett’s Ford Transit hit Mike Hellaby’s Ford Connect van head on at about 11am on April 28.

The 66-year-old, of Carterton-based Hellaby Foods, died at the scene. An unsecured freezer in the rear of his van went through the partition and into the cab area during the crash.

Cathy Olliver, prosecuting, said the evidence pointed to Brackett having fallen asleep at the wheel as there was no sign of any braking or swerving before impact.

She said: “Mr Hellaby’s car was visible for eight seconds before the crash.

“(Brackett) was entirely on the wrong side of the road for four seconds before impact.”

David Bright, defending, handed Judge Patrick Eccles 134 character references for his client, who had no previous convictions and a clean driving licence.

He thanked Mr Hellaby’s family for “showing such compassion” by shaking hands with Brackett after his guilty plea at an earlier hearing.

Mr Bright said: “He was not racing anybody, there’s no evidence whatsoever of speeding, no suggestion he had been driving badly in any way during his journey.

“The precise reason (for the crash) will in fact never be known. We simply don’t know what caused him to be there, it’s no defence, but to his credit he entered the plea he did. He struggles to find words to express how he feels, but his face says everything.

“His words to me were ‘I’m so sorry, it wasn’t meant’.”

Judge Eccles told Brackett “it seems more than likely you fell asleep” and jailed him for 20 months and banned him from driving for three years.

He said: “The fact is, on that day when you set out you ended up causing the death of a perfectly innocent motorist.

“Now the family of the deceased and your family all have to come together in court to relive that experience and it requires considerable courage on the part of the family of the deceased to come to court, knowing as they must that the judge can do nothing to restore their loved one to life.”