THE driver of a £1.2m Ferrari involved in a crash that killed a 13-year-old schoolboy has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and disqualified from driving for two years and nine months.

Businessman Mattew Cobden, 39, from Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, was found guilty by a jury at Winchester Crown Court on February 27 of causing death by careless driving. He was back in court on Monday for sentencing.

Alexander Worth, from Kings Worthy, died when Cobden lost control of the car on a quiet farm road in North Warnborough, near Odiham, on August 22, 2016.

It was to be a short drive before the F50 supercar was returned to the car storage facility owned by Cobden in nearby Hook Road.

Neither the boy nor the driver were wearing seatbelts and were thrown out of the vehicle after Cobden lost control and drove off the road, hitting a fence panel. He suffered a fractured rib and a punctured lung but Alexander was pronounced dead at the scene.

After sentencing, Sergeant Rik Grant, from the serious collision investigation unit, said: “This is a truly tragic case where a young boy has lost his life. His family have been left devastated by this but they have shown great courage throughout this heart-breaking investigation.

“This sentence today could never make up for losing Alexander but I hope that it will bring some form of closure to his family.”

And he added: “When driving such a powerful car, Cobden should have been in total control of the vehicle and taken all precautions to ensure he and his young passenger were safe.

“I hope that by seeing how important it is to wear a seatbelt. Regardless of the length or location of your journey, it might prevent another family going through this nightmare.”