A HIT and run driver who mowed down a cyclist and then left her lying dead in the road was branded a 'selfish coward' by the dead woman's boyfriend at an emotion charged court hearing on Friday.

Ajay Singh, 26, was jailed for eight years.

Singh was racing his car at speeds of up to 80mph after taking Ketamine and Spice when he ploughed into the back of Vicky Myres as she was out cycling in Timperley, with Sarah Crosby, the mother of Vicky's partner, James.

The 24-year old florist, from Flixton, who would cycle to work every day, was killed instantly in the smash after suffering a broken neck in the impact, at Stockport Road near its junction with Wellington Road.

In the moments before Vicky was hit at 8am on a Sunday, August 27 the two cyclists had heard Singh's VW Polo careering down the road with Vicky’s last words before the collision being: ''Gosh that car is going fast.''

Just 30 minutes earlier Singh had been seen getting into his car with a half drunk bottle of wine in his hand and driving erratically with loud music blaring out of his vehicle and in a way as if he ‘didn’t care what he was doing’.

During his journey he stopped sideways across a road blocking traffic and eye witnesses said he was driving at speeds of between 70 and 80mph in a 30mph zone. He was driving at up to 62mph when he hit Vicky.

After the impact he sped off in the vehicle leaving the body Vicky at the roadside. Singh was traced several hours after the crash after his car number plate was found at the crash scene. He said to be ''out of it'' on drugs and refused to explain why he was driving so fast.

He was over the drug drive limit for cannabis and cocaine and he admitted taking spice and ketamine, and was found by police lounging on his sofa with glass fragments in his hair.

A subsequent breath test showed he was twice the limit for alcohol but prosecutors said it could not be proved he was over the drink drive limit at the time of impact.

Sentencing Singh to eight years in custody, Judge John Potter said that there was ‘overwhelming evidence’ that he was under the influence of both drink and drugs at the time of the collision.

The bike that Vicky had been riding had been broken in half with the impact, which threw her over the bonnet windscreen and roof of the VW Polo before she landed in the road 57 metres from the point of impact.

Vicky had just bought a house with her long-term partner James with whom she had recently cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats.

In a statement read at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Mr Crosby, who dated Vicky for six and a half years, said: ''Due to the thoughtless, selfish and cowardly actions of the driver my beautiful, innocent girlfriend was taken away from me.

“Vicky was stunning inside and out. She had the world at her feet.

“My life now feels meaningless.”

Vicky's father said: “She was everything you would want in a daughter. She was kind, loving, caring adventurous, hard working, determined and fun.

“She was the bright spark in my life.”

Singh hung his head at a previous hearing as he pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and also failing to stop and report a road crash.

Defending Singh, Amanda Johnson handed a letter written by the defendant for Miss Myres family to Judge Potter.

She added: “The main mitigation in this case is his initial guilty plea.

“He is of course unable to turn back the clock but he does bitterly regret his actions.”

Disqualifying Singh, who hung his head, from driving for 10 years, Judge Potter told him: “Your dangerous and unlawful driving showed a completed disregard of safety to others and you have taken from this world a truly special person.”