A banned teenage driver who callously consigned his girlfriend to death by stopping an ambulance being called to help her after he crashed his new car at high speed has been sentenced to life.

The 19-year-old, who had earlier been smoking cannabis and drinking lager, was more concerned with saving his own skin and covering up the crime.

But when he noticed another passenger dialling 999 he grabbed the mobile off her shouting: "Don't phone them I'm a banned driver and I'm not getting done for this."

It was "blindingly obvious" she needed urgent medical attention, but there was a delay of more than 60 minutes before paramedics arrived and by that time she was dead, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Michael Slater, prosecuting, said he paid £5,500 for the Subaru Impreza saloon car the day before the crash and boasted to a friend: "Look at my beast, look at my beast."

The friend said Bennett said he had driven the high-powered car at "140" and described his driving as "daft and dangerous" when he took him for a spin along the same road on the outskirts of Sheffield where the accident later happened.

Later that evening after smoking cannabis and drinking at least two pints of beer Bennett took Miss Cash and her friend Joanne Kilner-Farr, 19, out in his car, leaving the house at around 12.30 am.

The girls thought another friend would drive as they knew Bennett was banned but he got into the driver's seat and set off. During the journey Miss Cash unfastened her seat belt to pick up a cigarette from the floor and did not buckle it up again, the court heard.

Miss Kilner-Farr said she was "very frightened" as Bennett drove at more than 90 mph along a "bumpy" single lane road in the dark. He lost control after going over the brow of a hill, spun and hit a tree at high speed.

Mr Slater said Bennett cut off a 999 call and threatened to attack Miss Kilner-Farr if she spoke to the emergency services. He even cut the phone off when they rang her back seconds later.

Bennett ignored her serious state, insisting she simply needed to "go to sleep", and a head injury suffered by Miss Kilner-Farr was also dismissed as minor.

The court heard his mother Linda Bennett, 48, and her partner Robin Scholes, 39, agreed to Scholes taking the blame for the accident and the Subaru was later set on fire in a further attempt to cover up what had happened.

Miss Kilner-Farr was eventually taken to hospital by another friend and they told staff on arrival about Miss Cash's condition. By that time the Bennetts had discovered the teenager had stopped breathing and dialled 999.

Paramedics arrived at 2.04 am to find Bennett in a "distraught" state pumping at his girlfriend's chest and trying to resuscitate her. They left the house for hospital at 2.25 am but nothing could be done.

The court heard he had convictions dating back to the age of 16. Although never previously been to prison, he was given a community rehabilitation order in June last year for aggravated vehicle taking, driving without a licence and driving with no insurance.

A week later he was convicted at the same magistrates court of shoplifting and in February he was given a suspended prison sentence for breaching both orders.

Commenting on his criminal history Judge Alan Goldsack, QC, the Recorder of Sheffield, said: "He has ignored every single court order that has ever been made on him."

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