A DISQUALIFIED driver who watched his teenage friend suffer fatal injuries in a horror quad bike collision has been banned from the roads.

Ben Brown was driving behind Marley Kline, 18, on the Colchester-bound A120 at Great Bromley as the pair travelled home from purchasing the quad bike.

The journey on March 27 ended in tragedy, however, when Marley, who was riding the new quad bike, accidentally left the road and suffered life-threatening injuries.

The dad-of-one from Hadleigh, in Suffolk, died as a result of his injuries on April 6.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard on Tuesday how Brown, 29, had been asked by his friend to accompany him to the site where he was going to purchase the quad bike.

Echo: Quadbike - Marley Kline and his sonQuadbike - Marley Kline and his son

Despite being banned from driving and thus not being insured, Brown, a railway worker, took his girlfriend’s BMW without her consent to do the journey.

Rima Begum, prosecuting, explained the duo were returning home when tragedy struck at 12.30pm.

“Brown had just taken his friend to collect the quad bike when it left the road and collided, sadly resulting in the death of his friend,” said Ms Begum.

“He stopped at the scene and witnesses saw him leave the BMW and go up to the casualty before he then drove off.

“He was then seen to return to the location a short time later. A witness recognised him and called the police.”

Echo: Incident - police officers during a previous incident on the A120 at HarwichIncident - police officers during a previous incident on the A120 at Harwich (Image: Essex Police)

Tia Ojo, mitigating, argued Brown had briefly left the scene to get Marley’s mother as “he was concerned maybe his friend wouldn’t make it”.

Ms Ojo added: “This is something he is still reeling from and will take a while to overcome.

“He does suffer from PTSD and anxiety and has had to start therapy just to try and go through this.”

Brown, of Timperley Road, Hadleigh, admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance, and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

He was handed a further six month driving ban and will have to take an extended driving test to get his licence reinstated.

Brown was also ordered by chairwoman of the bench Margaret Macallan to undertake 20 days of a rehabilitation activity and 50 hours of unpaid work.