Gumball Rally death driver spared prison

A British businessman has been given a two-year suspended sentence for killing an elderly couple during last month's Gumball Rally.

Nicholas Morley, 30, from Bowden, Cheshire, was convicted of "endangering traffic, leading to death" by the court in Macedonia, after a week-long trial.

Vladimir Chepunjoski, 67, and his wife Margarita, died when Morley's Porsche 911 hit their Volkswagen Golf near the Albanian border on May 4.

Morley and passenger Matthew McConville, from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, were accused of fleeing the scene but lawyers for the two men insist they reported the crash to police.

The pair had been competing in the 2007 Gumball Rally, an annual 3,000-mile Europe-wide tour that attracts the rich and famous.

Hundreds of businessmen, playboys and celebrities pay £28,000 to drive Ferraris, Porsches and Lamborghinis from London to Istanbul and back.

During the trial, two witnesses claimed Morley was driving at about 47mph, rather than the 100mph claimed by the prosecution. But the judge refused to allow expert testimony from the UK defence team.

As the sentence was read out in court, Morley fell into his mother's arms and both burst into tears.

The family of the couple killed told the court they forgave Morley and wanted him released. They also dropped their claim for £100,000 in damages.