The family of Grant Embling have branded the three-year jail term given to the man who caused their son's death "a bitter pill to swallow".o Mr Embling, 20, of Sinodun Road, Didcot, was killed after his motorbike was hit by Paul Pettifer's speeding car on September 26 last year.

Pettifer, 26, of Springfield Road, Wantage, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

Mr Embling's mother, Jan, said she was shocked at the sentence.

Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday that Pettifer was overtaking a lorry at more than 75mph on the A4130 in Didcot as he headed towards the A34.

Mr Embling was travelling in the other direction and was hit head on.

Prosecutor Michael Fowler said Pettifer had braked and tried to get behind the lorry when he saw Mr Embling, but the ABS on his car was found not to have been working correctly and he skidded.

Michael Fullerton, defending Pettifer, said the car's previous owner had tampered with a warning light, so Pettifer was not aware of the faulty brakes.

He added that his client was of previous good character and was remorseful over what he had done. He handed the judge a letter Pettifer had written to Mr Embling's family.

Jailing Pettifer, Judge Thomas Corrie said he had made a "catastrophic" mistake and caused the death of an "admirable young man".

But he added: "Although all such cases are unutterably tragic, this is, unfortunately, not by any means the worst case that has happened, that I have dealt with or that could be envisaged."

Speaking after the sentencing, Mr Embling's mother Jan, who attended court with her husband Mike and his children, said the sentence had come as a shock.

She said: "I thought he would have got longer, but knowing the justice system as it is, I'm not really surprised. It wouldn't have mattered really if he had got ten or 20 years.

"The fact is that our son has gone and a sentence doesn't change that.

"Our lives are totally wrecked and we are as distraught now as when he first died."

It was the first time the family had come face-to-face with Pettifer.

Mrs Embling said: "I thought I would hate him and I didn't, but I didn't feel any compassion towards him either. I haven't read the letter he sent us and I do not want to.

"I have asked them to rip it up.

"Grant was just a lovely, wonderful, young man and he was so cheated."

Mr Embling was a computer and motorcycle enthusiast and had recently completed a science course at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College.

Following his death, Mr and Mrs Embling launched a campaign for improvements to the A4130 - a notorious accident blackspot.

More than 8,000 residents signed a petition and in February the road was remarked - including a hatched area along the centre of the carriageway - to try and discourage drivers from overtaking.