A VAN driver who caused a crash that killed his neighbour has been fined and banned from getting behind the wheel.

Douglas Malcolm I'Dell, 58, of Springfield Garth, Norton, denied a charge of dangerous driving and was acquitted by Pickering Magistrates.

He pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and was fined £750, disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay £100 costs.

The court heard that the fatal accident happened on the A169 Malton to Pickering Road on December 3 last year.

Motorcyclist Andrew Popham, 34, also of Springfield Garth, was travelling towards Pickering on the priority road when Mr I'Dell pulled out in front of him from the Kirby Misperton junction.

At an inquest in June, North Yorkshire East Coroner Michael Oakley recorded a verdict of accidental death and said that I'Dell had made a grave error of judgement in assessing the distance of the motorcycle before he pulled out.

Nicholas Ralph, prosecuting, said that I'Dell had taken a "relaxed view" towards the maintenance of his white Ford Transit and that he was guilty of dangerous driving because it would have been "abundantly clear" to him that his brakes were not working properly.

PC David Taylor, of the North Yorkshire Police collision investigation unit, examined the van after the accident and found that the front brake pads were worn and needed replacing

He said the brakes had deteriorated so badly that I'Dell may have heard a grating noise and felt them vibrate when he applied them. PC Taylor also said that the efficiency of the brakes was not affected by the thickness of the pads.

I'Dell denied ignoring any obvious warning signs that his brakes were faulty.

Motor engineering expert Malcolm Reed said that sounds from the brake discs would have been drowned out by the noisy injection diesel engine.

He also said that it would not be obvious to a person without any special knowledge of motor vehicles that there was a problem with the brakes.

Brian Jephson, for I'Dell, said: "I want to express on behalf of Mr I'Dell his sorrow for the consequences of this accident and he wishes the family of Mr Popham to know that he is extremely sorry for what has happened."

After the verdict the metal prefabricator's widow, Ruth, said: "At least he's (I'Dell) off the road now and can't hurt anybody else."

Updated: 10:55 Wednesday, November 05, 2003