A MAN who put a family through two days of "hell" in court before pleading guilty to causing the death of a motorbike pillion rider by dangerous driving, will go to prison.

John Morgan, known by his middle name Mark, originally pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea at Newport Crown Court.

A jury had listened to two days of evidence about the crash in Blaenavon in September last year, in which 50-year-old Mrs Ray Jones died, including testimony from her husband Brian Jones.

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"We have seen a family go through hell having to relive that night because the defendant did not admit his mistake," said Judge Tom Crowther.

He told Morgan: "You have belatedly done the right thing (in pleading guilty). Perhaps you only realised yesterday that what you did was dangerous.

"Anyone seeing that video would have thought so from the outset."

Judge Crowther said he could only impose a custodial sentence. Sentencing was adjourned until December 15, but he told Morgan it would begin today, and remanded him in custody.

He told Mrs Jones' family they have his "deepest condolences."

Morgan's potential sentence has a starting point of three years, with a range of two-five years.

Addressing prosecuting counsel Janet McDonald on sentencing guidelines, Judge Crowther said: "No doubt the family (of Mrs Jones) will be horrified and regard them as utterly inadequate."

He then told Mrs Jones' family that he recognised the sentence will not provide any "meaningful recompense."

Morgan, 47, of Ton-Mawr Street, Blaenavon, pulled out of the Blaenavon service station shortly after 8pm on Saturday September 17 last year, without looking, into the path of Mr Jones' motorbike.

Mr Jones and his wife had been out riding with friends. He braked and tried to avoid Morgan's Volvo as it turned right, across the B4246 Abergavenny Road, but clipped the rear on the driver's side.

He and Mrs Jones, who was riding pillion, were thrown from the bike. Mrs Jones suffered fatal head injuries.

Morgan had put petrol in his Volvo car and planned to go to Brynmawr for a takeaway Chinese meal. He told police he had stopped at the junction and looked both ways before pulling out.

But CCTV footage showed he turned right from the junction, without stopping.

Morgan, in tears in the dock as he recounted the incident, told the jury he had been "100 per cent" sure he stopped.

He said he did not look right at the junction, but had looked that way from the slip road while pulling away from the petrol pump, and saw no vehicles approaching.

He said he had used the service station countless times over many years, and was not trying to deceive anyone when he told police he had stopped at the junction.

He described his pulling out without stopping "as "human complacency" rather than "wanton intent."

Leighton Mawer of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “By presenting eyewitness accounts, collision investigation experts and CCTV, the CPS was able to portray clear evidence of the standard of Morgan’s driving.

"We hope that Mr Jones and his family find some comfort in the conclusion of the case and our thoughts and sympathies are with them.”