Lee Fitt's parents never got the chance to say goodbye to their son.

David and Doreen Fitt, of Colchester, today spoke of how they had coped during the last three years, after seeing a lorry driver and his boss jailed for their part in the crash which killed Lee.

At Basildon Crown Court on Friday, Victor Coates, 57, was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and sentenced to four years.

He was also sentenced for six months to run concurrently for tachograph offences.

Coates crashed into Lee's broken-down car, killing the Colchester man, after driving for 20 hours without sleep.

Coates boss Martin Graves, 40, owner of MJ Graves Haulage, was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for four years. He received 12 months in prison to run concurrently for tachograph offences.

Speaking after the convictions Mr and Mrs Fitt said: "Our lives were completely turned upside down at the beginning. Lee was killed in December but, because of the ensuing investigation, his body was not able to be released until after the New Year.

"We had to endure the festive period and the millennium celebrations with the knowledge that Lee's body had not been laid to rest it was still lying in the mortuary.

"Lee was a fantastic son. He was dedicated to achieving his ambition of being a successful hotelier and caterer with Sarah by his side.

"The worst thing of all was that we weren't able to say goodbye before his death and after, the nature of his injuries made it impossible for us to do so."

Mr and Mrs Fitt thanked the police for their support throughout the investigation, especially family liaison officers Dave Grimshaw and Robin Rush.

Published Monday, April 7 , 2003

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