A man with no driver's licence or insurance drove a car at twice the speed limit before losing control and causing a crash which killed his friend.

Parmjit Singh was behind the wheel of his friend's Saab when he swerved and collided with a taxi at more than 60mph, a court was told.

The crash, in London Road, Stoneygate, Leicester, killed 23-year-old Mandip Singh Sadhra and seriously injured Singh and the taxi driver.

Singh (26), of Knighton Lane East, Knighton, Leicester, was jailed for two and a half years after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.

Leicester Crown Court heard that Singh had been at the Dry Dock pub, in Putney Road, off Welford Road, with Mr Sadhra before the crash.

He had not passed his driving test and had no insurance, but he had decided to drive his friend home, the court heard.

Travelling at least 63mph along London Road – more than double the speed limit – he lost control and swerved into the taxi.

The Saab was crushed by the impact and the taxi knocked on to its side.

The crash happened near to the road's junction with Clarendon Park Road in the early hours of Sunday, September 16, last year.

After being helped out of the wreck, Mr Singh claimed to police that he was Mr Sadhra, the vehicle's owner, as his friend lay dying nearby.

Prosecutor Sarah Knight told the court: "The deceased and the defendant had been to the Dry Dock public house and the duty manager remembers seeing the pair playing pool.

"He had to intervene as they had been boisterously play-fighting in the pub."

The court heard that alcohol had played no part in the accident.

Singh was very close friends with Mr Sadhra and called him "his brother."

Mary Prior, representing Singh, said: "This young man is profoundly and deeply sorry. Not only for his actions that night, but for the consequences of them.

"He knows his stupidity on that evening caused a family to lose an incredible human being, who was a loving son and brother and wishes he could have swapped places with him."

Sentencing Singh, Recorder Shaun Smith said: "In cases such as this there are only losers."

He said that Singh would serve the first 15 months of the sentence in custody before being released on licence. He was also disqualified from driving for five years.

Speaking outside the court, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Ivan Stafford said: "All Mr Sadhra's family hope is that some good comes out of this case – that people will learn to drive responsibly."