A MOTORIST who pulled out in front of a motorcyclist on a major Hampshire road has today been sentenced to community service for causing his death.

Susan French, 52, was ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for three years after admitting one count of causing death by careless driving.

David Herridge died shortly after his Kawasaki Ninja bike ploughed in to French's Peugeot 106 as she attempted to turn right off the A36 north of Totton in to Pauletts Lane.

The 44-year-old father-of-two had been on his way to work as an engineer at the time of the crash at 7.15am on February 24, 2009.

At Southampton Crown Court today Judge Peter Ralls told French of Chancel Road, Locks Heath, her "momentary lapse" had had "catastrophic consequences"

but that the severity of her offence was at the lowest end of the scale.

He said: "You will, I am sure, live with the horror of what occurred imprinted on your mind for the rest of your life."