CRASH motorist James Fisher has been cleared of causing his girlfriend's death by dangerous driving.

He lost control of his Rover Metro on a bend as he took 16-year-old Katherine Davies and two other youths to a party.

Miss Davies, a King's School, Worcester, pupil and former Alice Ottley schoolgirl, was killed instantly when the car somersaulted on to its roof.

A jury convicted 19-year-old Fisher of careless driving on the B4197 Martley to Great Witley road, but cleared him of the more serious charge after retiring for only an hour.

Fining him £500 with a two-year driving ban, Judge Thomas Dillon said he was fortunate that the victim's parents had showed him "such sympathy".

The judge was handed two letters from Miss Davies's family to read before passing sentence.

"I am very pleased that the jury came to the decision that it did," Katherine's father, Anthony Davies, said after the trial. "I never believed James would ever have recklessly caused harm to Kate."

Peter Arnold, defending, said the family was generous in their attitude and held no grudge against Fisher, of Frenchlands, Lower Broadheath.

The tragedy on September 22 last year had been a great shock and he had not driven since.

Fisher still has to be sentenced for having two defective tyres but William Rickarby, prosecuting, said they played no part in the accident.

He had alleged the defendant was driving too fast on a winding road and failed to concentrate.

But Fisher insisted he was distracted by his passengers, who were singing and throwing a teddy about.

He was looking at the youths in the back through his mirror to see what they were doing and added: "I believe I should've been paying more attention to the road."

He said he was driving at 45mph before the bend and was suddenly dazzled by lights coming towards him.

He was not aware his car was on the wrong side of the road and he panicked and swerved to avoid a car.

The Metro skidded, hit a hedge and overturned. Front seat passenger Miss Davies, of Bromyard Downs, broke her neck.

Luke Mackay, one of Fisher's other passengers, said they were in high spirits but at one stage Fisher asked them to stop singing.

The defendant, Mr Mackay, from Bromyard, and Robert Fox, from Hallow, suffered minor injuries but managed to clamber out of the car.