A trucker who caused a fatal accident when he veered across the road while sending a text message to his girlfriend, failed in an Appeal Court bid to have his five-year sentence cut.

Paul Browning, 36, infamously ended his message: "S***, call you back" after killing Paul Hammond, 24, of Hockley, as he stood chatting to his mother who was parked in a layby on the A13 at Wickford.

Browning, of Kenley Lane, Kenley, Surrey - who was carrying a dangerous load of volatile liquid helium - was sentenced to five years jail at Southend Crown Court after admitting causing death by dangerous driving on February 4.

Lord Justice Mance, refusing his appeal at London's Criminal Appeal Court, told him a stern deterrent sentence was necessary.

He said: "It can't be tolerable to think that it is appropriate to compose and read text messages while driving a large heavy goods vehicle."

The judge told the court how Mr Hammond was struck and instantly killed as he fetched a pair of glasses from his mother in a layby of the dual carriageway.

Browning, who was sending a message, lost concentration and clipped Mr Hammond before ploughing into the back of Mrs Hammond's Ford Escort.

He finished his message "oh s***, call you back" before running back to the scene saying, "what have I done what have I done?". He sobbed as police took him away. Kim Hollis, for Browning, said he vowed never to drive a truck again.

Lord Justice Mance said: "The use of a mobile phone to read and compose text messages while driving is a highly dangerous activity. Even the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving, a much too common feature of driving, is a risk."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.