The owner of a horse who died after a hit-and-run has said that she is pleased the man responsible is off the roads.

Driver Edgaras Tilmantas appeared in Suffolk Magistrates Court on the morning of Tuesday, March 21 for sentencing after the incident in Earl Soham last year.

Tilmantas had been driving his BMW with "excessive speed" when he collided with the horse on October 22.

Instead of stopping, Tilmantas, of Bracken Avenue, Kesgrave, accelerated away.

The 34-year-old last month pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and failing to stop after an accident.

Karen Harvey had been riding her 20-year-old thoroughbred Welsh cross Patch.

When a vet later arrived at the scene, it was concluded the horse couldn't be saved and Patch had to be put down.

"We are pleased that he is no longer driving," Ms Harvey said. "It doesn't change anything, about how we are coping with it, but it will stop him tearing around the village.

"I do not think that he should be behind the wheel of a car. We are very lucky that he hasn't killed somebody."

Prosecuting, Colette Harper told the court how Ms Harvey was left "devastated and heartbroken" after losing Patch, who she described as a "member of the family".

In Tilmantas' defence, Abigail Robinson told the court how Tilmantas did not stop at the time because he was "scared", but he later contacted the police and gave a full admission.

Ms Robinson added that Tilmantas is "already living his punishment", and no punishment the court imposes will come close to what he is putting himself through.

He was handed fines totalling £1,073 and was disqualified from driving for a period of nine months.

He was also handed a 12-month community order, with 250 hours of unpaid work, which the magistrate bench decided was a "high amount to reflect the serious nature of the offence".