A LORRY driver has been told he should prepare himself for a prison sentence after a jury convicted him of causing the death of a Carlisle grandfather by dangerous driving.

Rhys Gardiner, 24, had been on trial at the city’s crown court following a tragic crash on the A66 between Penrith and Appleby which claimed the life of 72-year-old Tim Harkness.

Gardiner admitted causing Mr Harkness’s death by careless driving, but he denied that his conduct behind the wheel was dangerous.

Dash cam footage from the cab of Gardiner’s Mercedes vehicle captured it crossing the central white line of the A66 briefly, close to Kirkby Thore in darkness just after 5-40am on Tuesday, 3rd April, 2018.

It then drifted left and partially off the carriageway for more than 100 metres without changing course before rejoining the A66. It crossed on to the wrong side of the road and collided with an oncoming Renault lorry driven by Mr Harkness, who died.

The prosecution alleged Gardiner “fell asleep at the wheel” moments before the tragedy. He’d send a text to his girlfriend at 2-32am - an hour before he started his fateful journey - which read: “Tired lol.”

A police collision investigator concluded that, in his opinion, that “the explanation that fits with all the evidence is that he has fallen asleep”.

In his police interview, he recalled that his vehicle had lost traction on the nearside, possibly on mud. He was socialising until 3am on April 2, the jury heard.

Gardiner, however, denied that he had fallen asleep and as he gave evidence in his own defence he insisted that he had been awake the whole time

But prosecutor Tim Evans told the jury there was no other explanation for the tragedy.

But a jury which heard all evidence in the case convicted Gardiner, unanimously, of causing Mr Harkness’s death by dangerous driving after deliberating for less than an hour.

Recorder Eric Lamb adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report, imposed an interim driving ban and granted unconditional bail to Gardiner, of Old Hall Road, Bentley, near Doncaster, who wept in the court dock when the verdict was announced.

He is due to be sentenced on March 16.

“The court is giving you no indication of what the ultimate sentence will be,” Recorder Lamb told him, adding: “You must be prepared for a custodial sentence on the next occasion.”