A devastated mum has told a judge of her heart-break after her teenage daughter was fatally injured when her boyfriend lost control of his souped-up high-performance car and crashed.

19-year-old law student Elizabeth Buckley had only been going out with “petrol-head” Thomas McDonough for a fortnight before the tragedy - a year ago today.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that McDonough had ignored warnings by the dealer he bought the L-registered Toyota Supra from to ensure he applied the traction control when he “put his foot down”.

The modifications he had made to the £10,500 vehicle included doubling the horse power and meant he was unable to see the speedometer.

On the evening of December 2 last year, after safely negotiating a double roundabout, he accelerated harshly to 60mph, twice the speed limit, along, Thornton Road, Bebington, which was greasy after recent rain, near to the junction with Heswall Avenue.

After losing control it spun round and collided with a lamppost and then a tree.

The passenger side took the brunt of the impact and after being freed from the wreckage the unconscious passenger was rushed to Arrowe Park Hospital with serious internal and external injuries and she died shortly after admission.

Jailing McDonough, of Hope Farm Road, Woodchurch, for three years four months, Judge Clement Goldstone, QC, the Recorder of Liverpool, said that it was clear that he was “in thrall to powerful and fast cars to the exclusion of almost anything else.

“It was as an enthusiast that you met Elizabeth Buckley because she shared your interest."

He banned McDonough, who showed no reaction during the emotion-charged proceedings, from driving for six years and eight months.

The judge said that the victim was “a star pupil, she was a star daughter and she had her life ahead of her, you destroyed it all in a moment of madness.”

He added that he had been trying to “show off to your girlfriend.”

McDonough, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

The judge said that McDonough described himself as “a petrol head” and his driving carried “an obvious and substantial risk of danger.”

The victim’s mum, Karen Kujawa, from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, read out her impact statement in which she told of the loss of her only child and the pain of losing their very close relationship.

“People always said we were like Velcro and wished they had the same relationship.”

She said her daughter, who was “beautiful inside and out”, had taken to university, which she started three months earlier, like “a duck to water” and even had a job in the university library.

She said she is still on medication and been unable to return work and “life has shrunk without her” since the knock on the door every parent dreads.

She said she would never be a grandparent or ever again be called "mum." 

Elizabeth’s dad has a ten-year-old son from a later relationship and the boy idolised his sister.

“She was funny, quirky, loyal, clever and boy did she have attitude,” she added.

Ian Whitehouse, prosecuting, said that nearby residents rushed out to help after hearing the crash, including two doctors, who tried to “alleviate her suffering.”

When questioned McDonough, a fork truck lift driver, admitted he had been speeding and said he could not see the dashboard but believed he had been travelling at 60mph.

Investigating officers spoke to the dealer who had sold him the car a few months earlier and he said that McDonough had arranged for modifications to the Japanese import to increase the bhp from 280 to 410.

The dealer said he had warned the defendant that the vehicle “demanded respect” and he would have to be careful and if he put his foot down ensure the traction control was on or the rear end would swing out.

When interviewed McDonough said he had got to know the victim via social media and they had met only once previously. He said he had wanted to spend as much time as possible with her and started speeding up when she indicated she wanted to get back to university in Liverpool.

The court heard that previously McDonough had posted on Facebook a video he had filmed showing someone driving the car round a tree and doing “donuts” in a car park. He admitted he was “a petrol head” and had wanted to own such a car for some time.

Philip Astbury, defending, said that McDonough, “comes from a loving and supportive family and they appreciate more than anybody the impact that this must have had on Lizzy Buckley’s family.”

The modifications to the “souped-up” car had been lawful and his dangerous driving had taken place over only a short distance and had not happened before.

“He had adhered to the warnings since May last year and rather than a boy racer who routinely drove in that fashion it was a one-off and it was that feature which caused him to lose control,” he said.

POLICE REACTION:

Sergeant Paul Hulme from Merseyside Police’s Road Policing Unit said: "This was a horrific incident which has had a devastating impact on Elizabeth’s family and their friends.

“Elizabeth was a young woman with her whole life ahead of her and no sentence can reflect the scale of their loss.

“It is clear from our investigation that McDonough’s actions behind the wheel were a reckless attempt to impress his passenger and had he not accelerated in the way he did, we believe this collision would have been avoided.

“The incident has had a devastating effect on all those involved and serves as a reminder to all drivers, the speed limit is there for a reason - so stick to it.”