THE family of a Northwich teenager who died in a car accident said they were 'disappointed' about the punishment given to the driver of the car.

Mark Fryers, 22, of Castle Court, Northwich, was disqualified from driving for 12 months and given a £200 fine at Northwich Magistrates' Court on Monday after admitting driving without due care and attention.

The court heard how Fryers lost control of the car on the A533 Bostock Road and spun off the road on March 10. His passenger, 19-year-old Alex Cookson, of Hartford Road, Davenham, was killed instantly.

Mairead Neeson, prosecuting, said witnesses described Fryers driving quickly along the road and overtaking a number of cars.

She said Fryers, who worked as a junior salesman at the Charles Barber Rover dealership in Northwich, was returning from delivering a car at the time of the accident.

Ros Smith, defending, said Fryers badly misjudged the corner and felt he was travelling at an appropriate speed.

She said: "It was an error of judgement."

Miss Smith said the accident investigation suggested it was likely that Mr Cookson was not wearing a seat belt at the time.

But she said Fryers was making no attempt to minimise what had happened.

She said: "He would turn the clock back if he could. He understands that the family has suffered greatly."

She said he was receiving counselling on a weekly basis, had quit his job, was suffering from flashbacks and was not sleeping.

She also said he had suffered from threats and abuse since the accident and avoided going out in Northwich town centre.

After the court case, Mr Cookson's grandmother, Edna Coombes, said: "We are very disappointed that the justice system failed to charge the accused more severely.

"Alex's family and friends have had their lives shattered by the tragic loss of Alex, who had a tremendous zest for life and was a tower of strength to his mum and his brother Mark.

"The whole family are totally devastated."