A family said they hold no bitterness towards a driver whose "momentary lapse of concentration" led to the accident which claimed their son's life.

The parents of Shane Baker, 19, who died in hospital two days after the crash in December 2007, say the pain of losing him was too great to bear a grudge.

Shane, of Barlestone, suffered a head injury when his friend, and the driver of the car, Reece Luke, 18, pulled into the path of an oncoming Rover 75 as he tried to turn right off the A447 near Cadeby, towards Market Bosworth.

Luke, of Wellsborough Road, Sheepy Parva, near Hinckley, who appeared before Hinckley Magistrates yesterday, was found guilty of careless driving following a two-day hearing.

He was fined £500, ordered to pay £15 victim surcharge and £400 costs. He also and had his driving licence endorsed with five points.

Handing out the punishment, Deputy District Judge Christopher Johnson said he felt any sentence he imposed was "inadequate to deal with the gravity of this matter".

However, he added that he accepted that it was nothing more than a "momentary lapse of concentration" that led to the crash.

Speaking after the hearing, Shane's mother, Karen Bowen-Baker, 45, said: "I know it was an error and that he never did it intentionally.

"It has been terrible for everyone, for our family and for Reece and his family. There is no bitterness at all.

"The past 15 months have been too awful for any feelings other than pain and suffering."

In a joint statement from Mrs Bowen-Baker, Shane's step-father Gareth Bowen, 39, and his father Barry Baker, 48, they spoke of their relief that the lengthy legal process had finally ended, but that no decision could "begin to reflect" the pain the family was suffering.

They said: "We all still struggle to believe that Shane will never walk into his home again to be with his family, or to mentor and guide his younger brother George, 11, of whom he was so very protective.

"However, we are pleased that at last an element of justice has been done.

"This will allow Reece the time to reflect on the incident, the importance and responsibility that is placed upon a driver each time they allow passengers into their vehicles, and a need for them to concentrate and be aware of what is happening on the roads around them at all times.

"Shane has paid the ultimate price as a result of Reece's error and no legal decision will bring him back."

The fatal accident happened at the Bull in Oak crossroads on the A447 – an accident blackspot which had been the site of 11 serious accidents between August 2006 and January 2008.

At the inquest, held last September into Shane's death, police accident investigator Pc Alan Moore said motorists believed the junction had become dangerous and confusing after Leicestershire County Council introduced give-way signs on its slip road in August 2006. The give-way lines were removed in January 2008.

David Leigh, defending, had argued that these changes and subsequent statistical evidence pointed to a "certain set of circumstances" that meant a driver turning right off the A447 towards Market Bosworth faced "an unreasonable amount of difficulty".

However, Mr Johnson dismissed his submission saying he felt that by Reece's own admission in police interviews it was the fact he had only taken a "glance" before making the manoeuvre that led to the accident.