Driver who killed student while treating Nottingham city centre as a 'racetrack' jailed for nine years

28 March 2024, 14:12 | Updated: 28 March 2024, 16:02

A driver who ran over and killed a student while treating Nottingham city centre as a "racetrack" has been jailed for nine years.

Joshua Gregory, 28, was travelling at speeds of more than 80mph in a 30mph zone when he drove through a red light and crashed into Oshada Jayasundera, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

The 31-year-old Sri Lankan national was crossing the road with friends when he was hit in the early hours of 13 December last year.

Sentencing Gregory, Recorder Paul Mann KC, told him: "You were treating the city centre road as if it was a racetrack."

Prosecutor Richard Thatcher said Gregory had taken a Ford Focus ST without permission from the motor dealership where he worked on 12 December.

He then spent the evening - and much of the night - driving around Nottingham and surrounding areas.

Police spotted Gregory's car at 3.20am and tried to pull him over by a petrol station, but he "accelerated rapidly" away, Mr Thatcher said.

Ten minutes later, other officers also spotted Gregory and pursued him after he turned the wrong way down a one-way street.

After entering a residential area, police had to reach speeds of 78mph to try and catch up with him.

Gregory then sped through a red light and hit Mr Jayasundera, who was returning home from a party with friends, as he walked across a pedestrian crossing.

His family were present in court after travelling from Sri Lanka for the sentencing.

Mr Jayasundera's father left the room when footage of the collision was played.

Gregory did not stop after hitting Mr Jayasundera, but crashed into a traffic light shortly after and then ran from the car, with police chasing.

He was then caught by officers and admitted he was drunk - before trying to run away again as they attempted to carry out a breathalyser test.

Mr Thatcher said Gregory made no comment in interviews but later tried to blame Mr Jayasundera for the collision.

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Recorder Mann said: "No one imagined you would not stop at those lights, but none had time to assess just how fast you were approaching.

"You struck your victim as he was crossing the third lane. The force of the collision was such as to propel his body 46 metres. That in itself speaks to the speed you were travelling at that point."

In a statement, Mr Jayasundera's relatives said: "Our family will never recover from this loss for the rest of our lives.

"We will have to live with it, suffering every single second, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, and all the years to come."

Gregory pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing. He looked down as he was sentenced.

He was also disqualified from driving for seven-and-a-half years from the time he is eligible for release from prison.

(c) Sky News 2024: Driver who killed student while treating Nottingham city centre as a 'racetrack' jailed for nine years