A “maniac” driver who killed a grandad in a horrific crash was travelling at more than twice the speed limit in a car he knew had defective brakes.

James Waddell was tearing along a 30mph road at 72mph in a red Subaru Forester that he was driving for the first time, when he smashed into Paul Andrew Fulcher's Volkswagen Tiguan.

Mr Fulcher, known as Andrew and a 53-year-old family man, had been pulling out at a junction on to the A690 Durham Road, Sunderland.

He suffered catastrophic injuries and died in hospital 11 days later, on April 25 last year.

placeholder image — James Waddell's police mugshot.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Waddell knew the Subaru's brakes were defective and had been using manual gears to make the vehicle stop when needed.

Prosecutor Emma Dowling told the court: “The position is aggravated by the fact that the brakes on the Subaru were very defective, three of the four brakes were metal on metal.

“The defects were such that there would have been noise and lack of efficient braking. Waddell himself in police interview explained he had turned automatic to manual to use his gears to brake rather than the approved technique for emergency stops, which is to apply the brakes themselves.”

Waddell, 21, of King Edward Street, Sunderland, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Paul Andrew Fulcher died 11 days after he suffered serious injuries in a road collision.

He was also banned from getting behind the wheel for 11 years.

Judge Tim Gittins said Mr Fulcher was the “soul of a close family” and respected by hundreds of people.

He told Waddell: “Your selfish and arrogant actions in driving like a maniac that day have cost a man his life when he had years left to enjoy it with his family, and you have left a painful void in the family's lives.

“No sentence I can pass can or is designed to measure the worth of the life lost.

“You took a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road and had disregard for the risk of danger to others.

“Not only were you driving in that way, but you were driving in that way knowing that the vehicle had such a dangerous defect to its braking system.”

In heart breaking victim statements, Mr Fulcher's family outlined in devasting detail the horrific impact his loss had had on their lives.

Mr Fulcher's wife Tracey said he was “my everything” and added: “How do I live without you? The truth is I don't, I just go through life because I need to.

“There is a constant hole in the pit of my stomach.”

Mrs Fulcher said she spent their 25th wedding anniversary in November last year crying and is a “truly broken person” and told Waddell: “Just remember, our family have been given a life sentence of pain and sorrow."

The grieving family said Mr Fulcher was deeply loved, was sorely missed, had hundreds of friends, was respected by many and branded Waddell a “killer”.

The court heard Waddell, who was 19 at the time, was “traumatised” by what he did, was “very, very sorry” and would live with what happened for the rest of his life.