A father-to-be who accidentally killed his pregnant girlfriend after mowing her down in his car, has been jailed for four and a half years.

Daniel Dutfield, 25, who was described in court as ‘utterly devoted’ and ‘joined at the hip’ with his girlfriend, crashed into Jessica Fenner after she had just had her baby shower.

The 22-year-old was eight months pregnant when she was struck down in Glastonbury Road, St Helier, on Saturday, July 5.

The couple were said to be excited about starting a family.

After the crash officers at Sutton police station found Dutfield to be over twice the drink-drive limit.

During his sentencing at Croydon Crown Court relatives of the couple heard he was speeding round the block in a modified Ford Focus, before losing control of the vehicle as he veered round a bend.

The car then went hurtling into a road sign before crashing into Ms Fenner.

Speaking at the sentencing, Avirup Chaudhuri, in mitigation, said: "The word tragedy is perhaps over-used these days.

"But nobody can deny the term is appropriate to this case."

The court heard that prior to the crash Dutfield had taken up an apprenticeship, had no previous convictions, and no points on his driving licence.

Mr Chaudhuri continued: "There is nothing contrary in the court’s information that suggests this is anything other than out of character.

"I ask the court to keep the sentence as short as possible."

Dutfield looked distraught throughout the hearing, with the court told he was suffering from depression and had been deemed a suicide risk in custody.

It was also heard he had helped prevent the suicides of two other inmates while on remand.

Judge Warwick McKinnon said a jail term was inevitable for Dutfield, before sentencing him to four and a half years in prison.

He said: "You drove drunkenly, aggressively, and at speed, in a residential area. Children could have quite easily been present.

"It’s a tragic case, you killed the one you love."

On September 15 at Croydon Crown Court, Dutfield pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Two months before her death Miss Fenner, who was from Wallington, posted on Facebook : "Had a lovely evening with Dan Spudz Dutfield not long till us 2 become 3 can't wait to meet our beautiful baby girl xx."

The couple were excited about starting a family

Mark Francis, for the prosecution, said: "He was clearly utterly devoted to his partner and they were joined at the hip."

Dutfield, who lived in Trinity Crescent in Tooting, would have been given a seven year sentence if it was not for his guilty plea.

He has also been given a seven year driving ban and ordered to pay a surcharge of £120.