Philip Airey was convicted by a jury last month of causing the death of John Landale, 48, by dangerous driving on February 1 last year after the prosecution claimed he was partly to blame for what happened.

Airey, 50, of Millcroft Estate, Pool in Wharfedale, was also found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of two charges of doing acts to pervert the course of justice.

Sentencing him yesterday, Recorder Bryan Cox, QC, said Airey met his friend Mr Landale in the Cross Pipes pub in Otley. "You left around 10.30pm, your intention was to drive to your home where you intended to park your vehicles and go to your local public house."

He said it was necessary for them to be at the Half Moon by 11pm otherwise they would not be admitted and it was clear they both drove at excessive speeds and "engaged in a form of competitive driving, probably racing back to your home to see who could get there first to test the performance of your respective vehicles".

A witness who was overtaken by them in a 30mph restricted area on the A659 said both had overtaken him at speed and he saw "the two vehicles being driven abreast of each other" for some 100 to 150 metres.

Another witness estimated they were doing around 80mph.

Recorder Cox said: "I am satisfied on the evidence that you wouldn't give way as Mr Landale's vehicle attempted to overtake you."

Some distance later Mr Landale lost control of his van on a bend and collided with an oncoming bus driven by Christopher Thomas. The van split in two and Mr Landale, a father of three who ran his own plumbing and heating business, suffered fatal injuries.

The bus driver also suffered fractures and psychological trauma as a result of the collision.

Recorder Cox said it was not clear whether Airey had been in front or behind Mr Landale when that happened but either way it was an unattractive feature of the case that he had quickly left the scene of the collision concerned that having had three pints of beer he might be over the limit.

"You had no regard for Mr Landale that night, you were concerned only for yourself."

Airey and his wife Catherine had then lied to the police about his actions that night.

With his wife driving his Toyota Land Cruiser, they returned to the scene and said they were just passing.

Later she called the police to say they were worried for Mr Landale's safety because they had been expecting him to stay the night.

Recorder Cox said they had shown at the trial a lack of remorse for those actions.

Airey was banned from driving for five years in addition to his jail term.

Catherine Airey, 54, who was found guilty by the jury on one charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice was given a nine-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months with 150 hours unpaid work.

Tony Kelbrick, for Airey, said he had felt the loss of his friend deeply.

He had suffered from anxiety and depression for years and prison would be very difficult for him.

Kama Melly, for Catherine Airey, said she helped many others in her community and faced the loss of her home with her husband in jail.

After the case Mr Landale's twin brother Paul said: "I don't bear any malice towards Phil Airey and his family.

"The fact is we have lost our brother, he has paid for the accident with his life; now Phil has got to pay something for his actions."