James Houston was racing another car at up to 60mph when his vehicle crashed in Wakefield Road, Huddersfield, killing three passengers – Gemma Cost, 15, of Batley; Ursula Alokolaro, 16, of Heckmondwike, and Natalie Donlan, also 16, of Dewsbury,

The other driver, Adam Anguige, was jailed for 10 years this year after he was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

Houston, 27, of Huddersfield, was charged with the same offence, but was considered not fit to stand trial because he lacked the mental capacity after being injured in the crash on September 1, 2006.

A jury still found he had been driving dangerously, but he will not be convicted of the charge.

At Bradford Crown Court yesterday, Judge Christopher Prince made an interim hospital order giving doctors 12 weeks to assess Houston before he is dealt with.

Members of the dead girls' families watched from the public gallery as Houston sat in the dock with his mother.

Judge Prince told the court the hospital order was not intended as a punishment.

He said he wanted to find the right treatment for Houston, but also needed to make sure there was "no repeat of that sort of dangerous, aggressive, criminal driving."

Anguige, of White Lee Road, Batley, was sentenced by the same judge in May.