A FATHER-OF-TWO has been jailed for more than six years for causing the death of a popular Cheshire musician when he hit him with his truck while drunk.

David Leather, 33, drove off in his orange Ford Wildtrak after crashing into cyclist Steven Farrish on the A523 near Macclesfield after midnight on October 21, 2017.

He parked the vehicle in his garage and later phoned police claiming he thought he had struck a deer.

Chester Crown Court heard he had been out drinking with colleagues that night, and had necked at least four and a half pints, part of a cocktail and half a gin and tonic.

Mr Farrish, nicknamed ‘Lemonade Steve’ as he didn’t drink, was knocked over on a straight stretch of road while cycling home after meeting friends in Macclesfield.

A children’s piano teacher and keys player in around six local bands, he had been wearing a high-vis jacket with a working rear light on his bike.

Leather, who is a partner in a building firm that employs 15 people, was said to be driving with a female passenger at around 60mph on a road with a speed limit of 50mph.

He has three previous convictions, one for assault in 2006, one for failing to provide details after a head-on collision in 2014 and a final offence of drink-driving in 2015.

The defendant, of Warrington Drive, Leek, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.

Judge Steven Everett, the Recorder of Chester, said: “You drove off in an attempt to avoid detection, I’m quite sure of that. You played out a game for as long as you could.

“You have remorse now. Some may say ‘too little, too late’.”

The judge said the defendant’s “terrible” actions had taken an “incalculable” toll on Mr Farrish’s family and friends, many of whom were in court for the hearing.

Maria Masselis, prosecuting, read out a series of emotional victim impact statements written by family members.

Barbara Farrish, Steven’s mother, said her son would help her with household chores and DIY and was always there for people when they needed him.

“He could make a cup of tea just how I like it,” she said. “Small things I know, but life is made up of the small things that I miss too deeply.”

She added: “My inner peace has gone, my heart is broken, my family is broken. Nobody should have to go through this. There is a hole that will never be filled and a scar that will never heal.”

In her statement, his sister Carolyn questioned how anyone could leave the scene of an accident knowing someone may be fatally injured.

“If I did that it would feel like I had actually murdered them,” she said. “Life is precious; Steven’s life was precious. I feel as if Steven was murdered.”

Defending, Bob Sastry said that, through him, Leather wished to apologise unreservedly to Mr Farrish’s family.

He added: “He knows the premature death of what can only be described as a fantastic human being is entirely down to him and his extremely bad choice to get behind the wheel of a vehicle having had too much to drink.”

The barrister said his client had “significant remorse” and “could not explain” why he had not seen Mr Farrish.

The court heard that the musician’s bike was found around 500 metres further down the road having been carried there on the front of the defendant’s truck.

A passing motorist spotted the debris in the road and dialled 999 when he saw Mr Farrish lying on the ground.

Paramedics rushed the victim to hospital but he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Another witness had spotted Leather’s damaged truck and took down the registration number to give police.

Leather later called the police non-emergency number to report he had “hit a deer or something”. His vehicle was found in his garage although the court heard there was “no suggestion that the defendant tried to hide evidence of the collision”.

It was too late by this time to carry out an alcohol blood or breath test but experts stated that he would have been at least twice the legal limit, based on the amount he admitted drinking.

Besides his prison sentence, Leather was also disqualified from driving for eight years – a term that will begin halfway through his jail time.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to report details of a driver, for which he received no separate penalty. He has two sons aged 14 and two.