A FOURTEEN-year-old Petersfield boy who took a Range Rover and drove it head-on into a minibus, killing three people, told police afterwards he wished he had died instead.

The schoolboy went on a "joyride" with two teenage pals after taking the vehicle from outside his mother's home, a court heard on Tuesday.

But, as he drove along a busy motorway at speed, the underage driver lost control of the vehicle and "took off" over the central reservation.

The high-powered Range Rover then crashed on to its roof on the opposite carriageway and smashed into the works bus.

It had been ferrying workers from Estee Lauder cosmetics factory, Whitman Laboratories in Petersfield, south to Portsmouth after their shift.

The court heard the boy had been standing up on the driver's seat as he sped along and had only ten minutes' previous experience of driving.

The driver of the minibus, father-of-two Peter Mitchell (41), died one hour later in hospital.

Two female passengers, Ann Williamson (27) and Doris Hale (41) died instantly in the horrific collision on the A3 (M)between Horndean and Clanfield.

Six survivors, including a 16-year-old girl, later told of having to crawl over the top of the dead bodies to escape the twisted wreckage of the bus.

The boy, who is now 15, admitted three counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one of taking a vehicle without consent, at Winchester Crown Court.

Prosecutor Mr David Bartlett said the boy from Petersfield had sped off with the five-litre Range Rover on the afternoon of January 4 this year.

He added: "The vehicle was parked in the driveway of his mother's home while she was on the Isle of Wight for the day.

"The defendant admitted taking the keys of the Range Rover and then drove to Waterlooville to meet two friends, one 15 and the other 16.

"They got into the vehicle and one eye-witness, Martin Lewis, said he later saw the Range Rover coming towards him.

"He said the young male driver was standing up in his seat leaning out of the window gesturing to a bus driver.

"Another motorist said she was overtaken on the inside by the vehicle, which swerved as it came back into her lane."

Mr Bartlett said the Range Rover then joined the A3 (M) Portsmouth to London road and pulled out, causing a Mercedes car to brake sharply.

He added: "Witnesses said the vehicle was travelling at an estimated speed of 75 mph in a northern direction.

"It then veered towards a crash barrier, as if the driver was not concentrating.

"It crossed the rumble strip and the driver then tried to correct his steering and over exaggerated that so the car went in the direction of the hard shoulder.

"He tried to correct the steering again, this time sending the vehicle at a 45 degree angle towards the crash barrier.

"It went over the barrier, overturned and landed on its roof in the southbound carriageway.

"One driver described the Range Rover as clipping the barrier, which led it to take off."

Mr Bartlett said the Range Rover fell into the path of the 17-seater minibus, which struck the wreckage head on.

For full story, see this week's Herald