The mum of a talented Bradford sportsman has branded the Polish driver who killed him “cowardly” as he was finally jailed for leaving her son dying in the road.

Lukasz Banasik, then 23, had no driving licence or insurance when he crashed into Olympic standard diver Gavin Hustler-Brown in Southampton nearly three years ago.

Farm labourer Banasik fled the scene and two days later went back to his home country. An international arrest warrant was issued but it was not until last July that he handed himself into Polish police and was later extradited to Britain.

Banasik, who admitted causing death by dangerous driving, was jailed for five years at Southampton Crown Court today.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Hustler-Brown’s mother, Christine Brown, of Cottingley, Bingley, deplored him for fleeing the scene of the crash and trying to evade justice.

“More than 500 people were at Gavin’s funeral in Yorkshire, not everyone could fit in the church,” her statement read.

“Gavin had everything to live for. He was a beautiful boy – a son, a grandson, nephew, cousin, friend. He had his career, his diving ahead of him and he had an infectious laugh and a fun spirit.

“He had a life, he had a future but Mr Banasik took that future away from him and from us. He left Gavin dead. What he did was cowardly.”

The court was told Banasik, was driving with passenger Rafal Potiopa at between 45 and 50mph in a Vauxhall Astra along a 30mph road when Mr Hustler-Brown, 22, crossed the carriageway early on on April 28, 2007.

Banasik had already been told by Mr Potiopa he was driving too fast but ignored his friend’s warning as the car went along the road full of pub goers.

James Kellam, prosecuting, told the court: “Mr Banasik was driving too fast and he reacted too late as Mr Hustler-Brown crossed the road. When he did react he braked hard enough for all four wheels to lock ten metres from Mr Hustler-Brown.

“Mr Banasik’s car struck Mr Hustler-Brown hard enough to throw him up in the air and send him falling down the road.

“He suffered extensive head injuries, probably caused by the car’s windscreen. He would have become instantly unconscious. His injuries were not survivable.

“Mr Banasik did not stop at the scene of the accident. Or if he did stop at all, it was for only an instant, for he accelerated off hard enough to spin his wheels. He drove through at least one red traffic light before abandoning the car 780 metres away.”

Mr Hustler-Brown was a first-year criminology student at university in Southampton.

He was described in court by Mr Kellam as “an elite athlete with the very real prospect of making the diving team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics”. Mr Kellam said the collision was nothing to do with any of his actions as he crossed the road, the court heard.

Despite emergency treatment, doctors could not save him and he died later in hospital.

Banasik also pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident, failing to report an accident, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

In mitigation Andy Houston said Banasik, who has a fiancee, had led a “pseudo life” in the years since the crime.

“He knew he was wanted in this country. (He was) struggling to sleep and cope with the enormity of what he had done,” he told the court.

Mr Houston said he accepted he was a coward that night and was ashamed.

Sentencing the now 26-year-old, Judge Derwin Hope told him buying the car and driving without a licence and insurance was a “dreadful piece of irresponsibility on your part that has led tragically to the death of a person”.

He said: “By seeking to evade justice for over two years you have substantially prolonged the agony that the family and friends had to go through.

“While you show remorse now you did not show remorse at the time of the offence.”

The judge did not impose a further punishment for other driving offences.

Outside court, Mrs Brown said she was happy with the sentence and added the judge had been fair.