A DRINK-DRIVER was jailed for six years today for killing his best friend after downing nine pints of lager.

Daniel Isherwood, aged 22, from Maesteg, was speeding when he lost control of his van and plunged 50ft down a ravine.

His close friend Lee Rose, aged 21, was killed in the crash on a country road late at night.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Isherwood was three times over the limit after a heavy drinking session at a match at Maesteg rugby club.

Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett said: "By 2am he'd consumed nine pints of lager and made the unwise decision to drive home from the pub.

"He was doing 45mph in a 30mph zone when he hit the kerb causing the van to career off the road and into a ravine.

"Lee Rose was in the back of the two-seater Volkswagen van. There was no seat belt."

Isherwood gave a roadside breath test of 117 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Water treatment engineer Isherwood admitted causing death by careless driving.

Tim Evans, defending said Isherwood had been deeply affected by Mr Rose's death.

Mr Evans said: "At one stage he lost his will to live."

Isherwood, of Cwrt Coed Parc, was jailed for six years and disqualified from driving for 10 years.

Judge Patrick Curran QC told him: "Driving that van at night grossly intoxicated you took his life away.

"There were a number of aggravating features in this case including the grossly excessive amount of alcohol."