54-year-old Walter van W, who drove his Porsche into the car driven by Fleur Balkestein, was jailed for four years to be followed by a five year driving ban. His son Casper, 33, was banned from driving for one year and given 100 hours of community service.

The court was told that the father and son had driven at speeds of up to 160 kph along a narrow dyke road in what appeared to be a race. An investigation by the Netherlands Forensic Institute showed the two had driven of speeds of at least 167 kph in area where 50 kph is the maximum.

‘They drove absurdly fast,’ the public prosecution told the court during the trial.

Van W’s car smashed into the car driven by the young woman as she turned out of a driveway onto the road in Loosdrecht. She died of her injuries in hospital two weeks after the crash took place.

Walter van W was also found to have twice the legal limit of alcohol in his blood. The two had been out to dinner together earlier in the evening.

‘Father and son took a risk and as a result, Fleur is dead,’ the court said in its verdict.