THE mother of a Southampton student and promising international diver has spoken of how she started a diary on the day he died in a horrific hit-and- run crash.

Christine Brown lost her son, Gavin, who was run over as he walked along Bevois Valley Road, Southampton, more than two-and-a-half years ago.

The driver, Lukasz Banasik, 26, failed to stop and dumped his car in a nearby street before catching a coach back to his native Poland a few hours later.

He was finally detained on a European arrest warrant and brought back to England.

Last week he pleaded guilty to causing the 22-year-old criminology’s student death by driving a Vauxhall Astra, which he bought for just £100, dangerously.

His actions in not stopping after the crash were described by prosecutor James Kellam as “cowardly and deplorable”.

Banasik, who also admitted failing to report an accident and having no insurance and licence, was further remanded in custody after the 20-minute hearing at the city crown court.

He will be sentenced in February.

After the hearing, Mrs Brown revealed she started the diary because she was unable to sleep.

It began: “Dear darling sweetheart, baby boy, my love. It’s not you that has been abandoned in this life, it’s me. You wouldn’t know the heartache that’s going on because some man has taken your life and mine if truth be known. How can I ever live without you, you happy little person.

I’m so glad you phoned me on Wednesday at 2am to tell me how much you loved me and that I was your best friend.

You were so happy with your life, how your university work was going well, your diving with the Southampton Academy (hoping for the Olympics in synchronised swimming) and your personal life with the girls (ha ha), how you were coming up to Leeds at the weekend. So I got your bed ready. It was never to be.”

In her statement, Mrs Brown said Banasik had shown no remorse, he had run away and prolonged any finalisation the case might bring. “My family are glad that he will now face justice. The anger we feel at this moment is paramount, we just hope this court will end a small part of this anger, and once again we can try and get on with our lives instead of being locked in a frozen block of ice and trapped in the blackest hole.”

Gavin, she said, had everything to live for. “He was a beautiful boy, a son, a grandson, nephew, cousin, friend. He had his career, his diving ahead of him. He had an infectious and fun spirit. He loved his mum, family and friends. He had huge plans for the future. He had a life and a future but Banasik took that away from him and us.

He left Gavin dead. He is a coward.”

Acknowledging the family’s presence in court, Andy Houston, defending, said: “He apologises for what has happened, not that it will be of much consolation for them, I’m sure.

Pleading guilty does require an element of courage for any young man knowing the sort of sentence passed in these cases.”

After the hearing, Mr Kellam said, despite not having insurance and a licence, he bought a car for £100 and drove it. “When he hit Gavin, he was above the speed limit.

“His actions following the collision were cowardly and deplorable. Instead of trying to help Gavin, he drove off at speed through traffic lights and abandoned the car.”

He said the Crown Prosecution Service had worked extremely hard with Hampshire Police to bring him to the UK, and the execution of the warrant meant he finally had to face justice.

Gavin died from serious head injuries on April 27, 2007.

Gavin, who came from Bradford, was a first-year student and was a former diving partner of Southampton’s 2008 Bejing Games diver Blake Aldridge.

More than 500 people attended his funeral in Yorkshire. The church was so crowded some had to hear the service from outside.