Three men have been sentenced after chasing a devoted dad-of-one to his death.

Francis Lee Conway, 33, was killed on Bradford’s Canal Road after he was pursued for setting fire to a post box on June 22 last year.

At the city’s crown court yesterday, Caleb Coleman, 22, of Mary Street, Laisterdyke, and Wayne Lee, 22, of Holme Wood Road, Holme Wood, were sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.

Jamie Nichols, 18, of Eastfield Gardens, Holme Wood, was sentenced to two years in a young offender institute.

Nichols was 17 when the three got out of Lee’s black Renault Clio and chased Mr Conway, who was known as Frank, and his friend, Jonathan Keen.

Mr Keen hid in a field but Mr Conway, of Oakwood Avenue, Bolton Woods, ran into the path of a recovery truck.

He suffered massive head injuries, causing irreversible brain damage, and died in Leeds General Infirmary on the same day.

The driver immediately called an ambulance and flagged down a police car.

Mr Conway, the father of a boy who is now aged 12, had drunk two and a half times the legal limit for driving.

The defendants denied any involvement in Mr Conway’s death but they were found guilty of his manslaughter on October 15 this year.

Nichols’ barrister Tahir Khan said his client now admitted his involvement in the crime and said he had shown remorse for what he had done.

Mr Justice Cranston said: “The three of you chased Mr Conway to his death. The family has been waiting for you three to show some remorse for what you did.

“The three of you were affected by drugs in some way that evening.” After the case, members of Mr Conway’s family said they felt the sentences did not fit the crime.

His brother Kieran Conway, 29, said: “It is an understatement to say we are unhappy with the sentences. But it has been such a long time coming, it is a relief it is over.

“The trial has been very difficult on all of our lives but now we must do our best to turn a page and get on with our lives.”

His girlfriend, Louise Sanders, 22, who met Mr Conway in Shipley two years ago, said: “I just feel numb. The result is disappointing.”

His mother Carol England said: “He was a lovely lad to everyone. It was out of character what he did that night. He was not a trouble maker, he had never had a fight in his life.

“I expected the sentences to be longer, they didn’t plead guilty.

Detective Superintendent Chris Thompson, of West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Inquiry Team, said: “These are violent young men. They were cruising the streets of Bradford just looking for trouble and their lifestyle was such serious harm and loss of life was inevitable."