The parents of a British expat convicted of causing a car crash that left one man dead and two people injured say they are "optimistic" about his appeal.

Luke Armstrong will ask the Court of Appeal on March 16 to overturn his conviction for killing Winston (Yogi) Burrows, 44, by dangerous driving. Armstrong, from Lincolnshire in England, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after being found guilty by a jury last November. He was behind the wheel of a heavy truck that he was not licensed to drive when it veered onto the wrong side of the road in the early hours of April 5 and hit a car being driven by Mr. Burrows.

Mr. Burrows who had a paralysed hand from a previous road accident 12 years before was killed by the impact of the crash. He remained trapped in the vehicle as it burst into flames. Tests later showed he had alcohol and cocaine in his system. His friend Evelyn Rewan, 30, who was in the back seat of the car, suffered severe injuries including a broken neck, broken knee, broken toe, and a laceration that ripped her forehead open down to the skull.

Fellow rear-seat passenger Honest Masawi, a 46-year-old Zimbabwean, managed to escape with a bad cut over his eye.

He helped drag Ms Rewan, a mother-of-three, to safety before the car exploded but was unable to free Mr. Burrows from the wreckage of the smash on South Road, Warwick.

Armstrong, who worked for Arctic Air Conditioning, was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of causing injury by dangerous driving and one of driving without a valid licence.

His parents, David and Teresa Armstrong, launched a campaign after his conviction to raise money for his legal fees. They also launched a website and Facebook page entitled "Justice for Luke Armstrong".

The Facebook page, which has 1791 members, claims Armstrong has been wrongly convicted in a case based purely on circumstantial evidence.

In an interview with their local newspaper, the Scunthorpe Telegraph, Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong said they will come to Bermuda to support their son during the appeal.

"We're looking forward to seeing him. We haven't seen him since the trial in November," said Mr. Armstrong, who explained they will be there for Sunday March 14 which is Mother's Day in England. "That will be nice for Teresa," said Mr. Armstrong. "The appeal starts at 10 a.m. on March 16. I don't know what will happen at the appeal.

"I believe it's just in front of a panel of judges who do a circuit three times a year on the Island. I'm fairly optimistic. We just have to see how they see it.

"I wouldn't say [Luke] is getting his hopes up because of what has gone on in the past. He just wants to get back. He seems to be doing OK. He's got a little job in the prison doing the office cleaning which keeps him occupied. He's doing OK under the circumstances."