A MOTORCYCLIST who died in an accident with a car driven by an off-duty police officer was looking forward to his fourth child being born, his friend said.

Usk prison officer Gordon Bowyer, 44, died after a collision with a car being driven by PC Christopher Browning, 28, on the A467 at Crumlin on April 13 last year.

Browning, from The Highway, New Inn, admitted a charge of careless driving, was banned from driving for a year and fined £2,000.

Aftre the hearing, Mr Bowyer's friend Glyn Williams, 51, from Nelson, who served in the RAF at St Athan with him, said: "He had been up to my house the week before the accident to say that his wife was pregnant and he was really happy about that.

"Then the weekend after on the Sunday I went to get the papers as usual and sat down to read them over breakfast. It was a total shock to see Gordon on the front page."

Mr Williams had been a sergeant in the RAF, with Gordon Bowyer his number two. At the time, Mr Bowyer was living in the St Athan area and Mr Williams would pop round to his house when on external patrols to the area after he left the base.

About a year ago, Mr Bowyer and his wife Judith moved to Maesycwmmer after he had got a job as an Usk prison officer.

Mr Williams added: "I went to his wedding and when I went on holidays, Gordon would be in charge of the shift at St Athan. He was a very straight man, knew right from wrong and I didn't know of anyone who had a bad word to say against him."

Mrs Bowyer has recently given birth to the couple's fourth child.