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A restaurateur high on drink and drugs who mowed down and killed a young dad in Notting Hill while wildly driving his £120,000 luxury car has been jailed.

The Bentley Continental being driven by George Claudiu Albu was travelling at twice the 30mph speed limit last August when it hit landscape gardener Christopher Jones with such force that it completely severed the 23-year-old’s leg, a court heard.

The 32-year-old Romanian then fled the scene, along with his passenger, but was arrested when police traced the vehicle back to his address in Porchester Road, Paddington .

Appearing at Southwark Crown Court on January 21, Albu admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while driving uninsured, and causing death while driving without a licence.

He was given an eight-year prison sentence for the first charge, and two 12-month sentences each, running concurrently, for the other charges.

The court was also told Albu had never passed his test and has two previous convictions for driving without a licence. He was also in breach of a six week suspended sentence for possession of cocaine and common assault.

Thrown 15 metres by impact

Mr Jones worked for Kensington and Chelsea Council’s maintenance contractors Quadrant, and was directing traffic around his broken down van in Pembridge Villas in the early hours of August 6, when Albu ploughed into him.

The force of impact threw him more than 15 metres and the extent of his injuries were so horrific that his mother was forced to leave court as they were described to the judge.

Prior to the smash Albu had been racing round Westbourne Grove, Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill area at speeds of 60mph, while weaving in and out of traffic, revving the engine and slamming on his brakes.

He had been seen drinking alcohol at a bar and the driver later tested positive for cocaine and BZE, but it was impossible to judge the extent of his intoxication because blood tests were taken so long after the smash.

The bodybuilding-fanatic initially claimed he did not know anyone had been killed as Mr Jones was on the far side of the vehicle. But a witness saw Albu and his passenger stand over the body of Jones before running from the scene.

The London Air Ambulance paramedics attended the scene but were unable to save Mr Jones, pronouncing him dead at 1.08am.

'Deeply remorseful'

When arrested, Albu said although the vehicle was registered to his home it belonged to another man and he did not know where the car was.

Later he apologised to the family and offered to pay funeral costs. Defence counsel Michael Cogan said Albu was deeply remorseful.

“He is suffering symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, although he accepts this is entirely of his own making,” he said.

Albu came to the UK in 2008 and founded a restaurant in Bayswater which he later sold. He was in the process of launching a second restaurant with his wife when he hit Mr Jones, the father of a five-year-old girl.

A work colleague of Mr Jones descibed him as “one of the loveliest people you could ever work with,” while Quadrant said in a short statement: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of our colleague at this tragic time.”

Albu was also given a six-week prison term for breaching his suspended sentence, while his supercar will now be destroyed.

He was disqualified for driving for 10 years and until he has passed an extended driving test. Albu must also pay a £120 victim surcharge.