A DANGEROUS driver who fatally hit a pensioner and left him to die has been jailed.

Burnley Crown Court heard Keith Robinson was catapulted into the air after being hit by a Vauxhall Corsa being driven by Daniel Mills at 66 miles-per-hour in a 30mph zone.

The court was told that the incident happened the day after Mr Robinson had turned 69 and the fatal impact was witnessed by his daughter Jessica and son-in-law Brent.

Expert evidence had shown that Mills’s phone was connected to his girlfriend’s device at the time of the fatal crash in Albert Road, Colne, on February 2, last year.

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Mills, of Haverholt Close, Colne, claimed that call was a ‘pocket dial’ as he had been on the phone to his former girlfriend moments before making supper arrangements.

After a trial of issue Judge Beverley Lunt said the prosecution had not done enough to disprove his claims.

Opening the sentencing hearing for the prosecution Richard Haworth said Mr Robinson had been at the Pendle Beer Festival at the Colne Muni with family and friends and was walking to the bus stop when the incident happened.

Mr Haworth said: “On February 4, 2016 the day after his 69th birthday Keith Robinson was out for the evening in Colne. About 10.18pm he was crossing Albert Road when he was struck and killed by the Vauxhall Corsavan driven by the defendant. The defendant didn’t stop at the scene but sped off and only tracked down the following day.”

Mr Haworth said Mr Robinson had left the venue and gone to catch the bus with his daughter and her fiancée.

But before he made it across the road he was hit by the van, with eyewitnesses saying the car had not braked, sounded its horn, flashed its lights or changed direction.

He had been to pick up his passenger Kyle Morgan from the Duke of Lancaster Pub and gone from zero to 65mph in less than 300 yards. Mills had been drinking alcohol but passed a breathalyser test the following day.

After hitting Mr Robinson and flinging him down the road Mills, who had a front seat passenger, left the scene. Eyewitnesses described how he dangerously overtook another vehicle and almost caused a second crash.

Mr Haworth said Mills abandoned his van near his former girlfriend’s house in Knotts Lane. The court heard she then dropped Mills off at his home and gave him a false alibi.

Mr Haworth said she also told him to delete his call history and text messages from his phone, which Mills did not do.

Because the insurance for the car, which had a defective front tyre, was registered in Mills’s former bosses name he was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving in the early hours of February 3.

Mills, who 12 months earlier was convicted of driving without due care and attention during an incident in which he had fled the scene, was later arrested and told police Mr Robinson had jumped out in front of him.

He later pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving on the basis he was not using his mobile phone.

Mr Robinson’s daughter read out at victim impact statement in court in which she said her father had been looking forward to giving her away at her wedding.

She added: “My dad, Keith Robinson, was my best friend. my idol and someone I could always trust no matter what, he never let me down. He meant everything to me. He was very active and in fact did more than people a third of his age.”

Defending, Mark Stuart said his client had shown genuine remorse and said his client had not gone out that night with the intention of killing anyone.

Mr Stuart said: “The driving itself was undoubtedly over the speed limit. I concede it created a significant risk of danger to the public.

Sentencing Mills to four years in prison, Judge Lunt said the sentence did not and could not put a price on Mr Robinson’s life or reflect the impact it had had on his family.

Judge Lunt said: “You knew you had hit a human being but you didn’t stop. You didn’t try and help.”

Mills was banned from driving for 33 months and ordered to take an extended re-test.