£300 fine for trucker over crash that killed boy, 10

But a jury at Leeds Crown Court yesterday found Christopher Osbourne, 24, guilty of driving without due care and attention on April 15, 2008.

The court heard during the trial that football fan Billy Fletcher from Hull was travelling to Barnsley to watch his first Hull City away match when the tragedy occurred near Junction 29 of the motorway.

The seven-and-a-half-tonne lorry driven by Osbourne failed to slow unlike traffic ahead and struck the Ford Escort in which the schoolboy was a passenger, which then collided with other vehicles.

Osbourne of Worksop, Nottinghamshire, was banned from driving for 18 months and fined 300.

Judge Christopher Batty said some might consider that penalty derisory but he had been told the ban would mean Osbourne would be losing his employment.

He said only a financial penalty was available at that time since the more serious offence of causing death by careless driving which carries imprisonment, only came into force in August that year.

The judge said Osbourne had never accepted any responsibility for the tragic events of that night.

Expressing sympathy to the schoolboy's family he praised their courage, dignity and restraint during the trial.

Osbourne told the jury in evidence after passing a crash on the hard shoulder he had checked his mirror to make sure people standing there were OK and when he looked back found the traffic slowing ahead and braked. "There was nothing further I could do," he said.

Alexander Taylor-Camara, defending, told the judge Osbourne had managed to get another driving job about three months ago but would lose that because of the ban and would have limited funds available to pay a fine.