A ROAD safety group has criticised a four-year sentence imposed on a learner driver who killed a university student on a pelican crossing after speeding through a red light.

Sadakat Hussein, from Nelson, has been sent to a young offender's institution for four years. He catapulted 19-year-old Jonathan Roberts 40 feet through the air after hitting him at about 50mph.

But today a campaigner from RoadPeace said the sentence sent out the wrong message about dangerous driving.

Jonathan died almost instantly after the impact in Manchester city centre, before Hussein drove off in the black Honda Prelude. It was later found burned out before Hussein fled the country.

He returned three months later on the advice of his family and after a trial was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

He was told by Judge Clement Goldstone: "You come from a good home and have a hard working background but what the public and Jonathan Roberts' family will ask is: "What possessed you to drive in this way?

"This is a tragedy for you and a tragedy for your family.

"But pause to consider the tragedy that has befallen the family of Jonathan Roberts for whose future they had great hopes.

Brigatte Chaudry founder of RoadPeace, the national organisation which provides emotional and practical support for casualties of road accidents and works to raise awareness and highlight the dangers on the road.

She said: "This is a very serious case and the sentence does not reflect that in any way.

"This sends out the message that death on the roads is not judged by the same standards as other forms of killing."

Hussein, also 19, of Beaufort Street, Nelson, was banned from driving for four years and ordered to take an extended test after he admitted offences of driving with a licence or insurance, failing to stop and failing to report an accident.

Simon Myerson QC, defending, said Hussein had never tried to "shirk" his responsibility for causing the victim's death and wanted to express his "profound apologies" to Jonathan's family for the tragedy.

Jonathan, a computer science student, died when he was struck by Hussein's car as he jogged over a pelican crossing on Oxford Road, Manchester, near the city's Royal Infirmary.

He was thrown through the air "like a rag doll" when Hussein, who was also a student, ploughed into him at about 50mph.

Hussein later claimed he was acting under duress because he was in fear of his life while being chased by a gang of men in another car and believed he was going to be beaten or even killed.