The widow of a Birmingham businessman last night criticised the four-year sentence handed out to the speeding teenage driver who caused her husband's death.

Susan Adams said "nothing could replace" her husband Rik, the father of their two young children, and she had hoped the custodial sentence on Adhal Zaffar would be longer.

Mrs Adams said the family would not be seeking an appeal over the sentence, but called on the Government to bring in laws banning under-25 year-olds from driving powerful cars.

Chartered surveyor Mr Adams, aged 34 and a partner at Nattrass Giles, was killed on May 19 last year when a speeding Subaru Impreza clipped a central reservation on Cuckoo Road, near Star City, and landed on top of his car.

Mr Adams had been on his way to meet his pregnant wife and baby son Blake to buy a first birthday present for the youngster.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that after the crash, Zaffar (19) ran off, leaving Mr Adams dying in the wreckage.

Zaffar pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving without insurance. In a letter read to the court, he said he had nursed hopes to become a police officer before the tragedy happened.

"I feel sick when I think of it and what the family must have gone through. I know how much pain I have caused to everybody and if there was anything I could do to change what had happened I would do it in a split second," he wrote.

Judge Howard Morrison QC sentenced him to four years detention at a young offenders' centre and told him he would serve half that term. Zaffar was also handed a five-year driving disqualification.

"The enormity of the tragedy is one that words don't really add to very much," the judge said.

"A young family has been destroyed through some short-term appalling driving on your part, which I suspect was showing off."

The judge said he was satisfied Zaffar was remorseful, adding he had to take into account his youth and lack of previous convictions when considering sentence for the offence, which carries a maximum punishment of 14 years.

Outside court Mrs Adams, a press officer, from Solihull, fought back tears. "Nothing is going to replace Richard," she said. "I wanted a lot more. It's the first I've heard about him being remorseful."

Rik's brother Mark said Zaffar's actions had demonstrated a "complete disregard for anyone else".

"He bought a powerful car for which he had no insurance, filled it up with young men and drove at speeds which were well beyond his capabilities, in a busy, built-up area," he said. "When the inevitable happened he ran from the scene leaving Richard dying.

"He was only 34 with a brilliant life and career ahead of him. Susan has been left to raise his 20-month-old son and newborn daughter without his help."

The family called for a change in the law governing who could drive powerful cars.

He called for age restrictions on the driving of such cars, similar to that governing the riding of powerful motorbikes.

Mrs Adams added: "Insurance companies don't want to insure them to drive cars like this – so why should the law allow it? We call on the Government to look at this."

Mr Adams said: "Their family will be reunited after he has served his sentence, but we will never see Rik again. Nothing can compensate us for our loss.

"Now other young and inexperienced drivers will be free to inflict such devastation on other families is inevitable with current laws."