A Clydach man has been jailed for five years after causing the deaths of two people in an 'outrageous' high speed road race on the Heads of the Valleys Road near Brynmawr.

Luke Jones, 24, of Dan y Coed, Clydach, who was described by Caroline Rees, defending, as 'vital part' of the lives of his family and friends - especially his grandmother and newborn son - admitted responsibility last month for the deaths of Peugeot driver Philip Bath, 29, and motorcyclist Glyndwr John Evans, 49, on the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road on October 27, 2012. 

Judge David Williams said that Jones was involved in a three mile, high speed race with Philip Bath and described their actions as "lunatic" and "frightening".

He said the two men were using the road as a race track, with their speed reaching up to 100mph, at a time when traffic was heavy. One witness reported that Bath's car had been 'skidding around like a Formula 1 car warming up its tyres'.

The court heard from prosecutor Nicholas Gareth Jones that the fatal accident occured when Jones misjudged the speed of a car in front of him and braked sharply while racing, leading to Mr?Bath losing control of his vehicle which careered into the path of oncoming traffic causing 'carnage'

Motorcyclist Mr Evans died instantly and Mr Bath was taken by air ambulance to the University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff where he later died from his injuries. A second motorcyclist, 65 year-old David Cooper spent 12 days in intensive care at Nevill Hall Hospital and a further two and a half months in a Bridgend hospital following the accident and has been told that he will never be fit enough to ride a bike again.

The court heard that Mr Bath's yellow Peugeot had failed its MOT shortly before the collision and had been deemed 'unfit for road use'.

 The court was told that following the accident, Jones fled the scene but was followed by a witness and and arrested at a nearby pub where he told police officers that it was 'not his fault' and that the accident was 'nothing to do with him'.

The court also heard how Jones had 'repeatedly lied' and denied his responsibility until last month when he admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving

Jones was given credit for his guilty plea, but told that it carry as much weight as if he had admitted responsibility immediately and not fled from the scene. 

"I accept that you are sorry but that would be of far greater weight if you had not left the scene of carnage which you caused," Judge Daniel Williams told him.

Jones is set to spend half of his sentence in prison, with the remaining time spent on probation. He was also banned from driving for five years