The parents of a teenager killed in an A120 crash have spoken out after a lorry driver was jailed for causing death by dangerous driving.

Trucker John Purkiss was jailed for three years on Thursday. His vehicle had ploughed into a Ford Fiesta on Braintree bypass, killing Richard Green, 17.

On Friday the teenager's parents, Ken and Sandra Green, of Tabor Avenue, Braintree, said they could now close a difficult chapter of their lives.

Mr Green said: "Obviously we would have liked to see him get longer, but the truth came out, it was a fair trial and whatever happens won't bring Richard back. So we are happy with the way things have gone.

"We are relieved it is all over and we can now try to get on with our lives."

Mr Green added that Richard's death had hit his three bothers and two sisters very hard.

He said: "He was the centre of the family, if his brothers and sisters needed anything he was always there for them."

Purkiss, 48, of Robletts Villas, Great Sampford, was convicted of death by dangerous driving at Chelmsford Crown Court.

He was jailed for three years, plus three months consecutive for five tachograph offences he admitted. He was also banned from driving for five years and ordered to take an extended driving test.

His barrister James Norris asked him: "What do you feel about what happened?"

Purkiss replied: "I feel gutted the whole thing has happened. All I did was to set out to do a day's work and it went wrong."

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