A football agent has been jailed for seven years after he killed one man and left another paralysed in a motorway crash.

Peter Morrison, 37, had been sending text messages and driving at excessive speeds in rain and wind before the crash on the M6 near Tebay, Cumbria, on February 21 2016, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday.

Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, said Morrison had last received a message 45 seconds before he lost control of his Mercedes ML350 and struck Highways England workers Adam Gibb, 51, who was killed almost instantly, and Paul Holroyd, 51, who has been left in a wheelchair, who were recovering vehicles from a previous collision on the hard shoulder.

The court heard he drove at an average speed of 81mph in the 29 miles before the collision, despite Matrix signs showing an advisory speed of 50mph.

Mr Gibbs’ widow Julie Labbett read a statement to the court in which she described the impact the crash had on her and the couple’s teenage son Matthew.

She said: “In time I may be able to forgive Mr Morrison for killing Adam but I am never going to forgive him for taking my son’s dad away from him.”

Statements from Mr Holroyd and his partner Allison Wynne, who were both in court for the hearing, were read.

Paul Holroyd at Liverpool Crown Court with partner Allison Wynne (Peter Byrne/PA)
Paul Holroyd at Liverpool Crown Court with partner Allison Wynne (Peter Byrne/PA)

Mr Holroyd told how his partner had been due to move into the static caravan where he lived, on a campsite which he ran, five days after the accident.

But he had been unable to return to his previous home and had instead moved to a bungalow which had to be adapted for his wheelchair.

He said: “She (Ms Wynne) became responsible for running the campsite, looking after my kids and becoming my carer. This isn’t what I want for her.”

In Ms Wynne’s statement, she said: “It breaks my heart to see this larger than life man struggling to do everything when he used to do everything for everyone.”

Peter Morrison arrives at Liverpool Crown Court with wife Siobhan for sentencing (Peter Byrne/PA)
Peter Morrison arrives at Liverpool Crown Court with wife Siobhan for sentencing (Peter Byrne/PA)

John Dye, defending, said Morrison had previously been a man of “impeccable character” and had a son with wife Siobhan who had been 11 months old at the time of the collision.

Letters of reference, including one from Manchester City player Vincent Kompany, were given to the judge.

Mr Dye said: “This was somebody who dispels the myth of the greedy, one dimensional football agent.”

A letter written by Morrison was read to the court in which he said: “Not a moment within the days passes when I do not feel the guilt of taking a boy’s father away from him and seriously injuring Mr Holroyd.”

Morrison was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving following a trial at Carlisle Crown Court.

Sentencing, Judge Mr Justice William Davis said: “Your bad driving, a combination of speed and concentrating on your mobile phone, went on over many miles.

“You were driving at speed wholly inappropriate for the kind of weather conditions.

“You were driving whilst using a mobile phone and you drove as you approached that accident without any regard at all for vulnerable road users.”

Morrison was given a seven-year sentence for causing death by dangerous driving and a three-year sentence, to be served concurrently, for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He was disqualified from driving for eight years.