Man jailed for nine years after killing Nottingham Trent student in police car chase

A man has been jailed for killing a Nottingham Trent University student by dangerous driving whilst being pursued by the police.

Oshada Jasadundera, a post graduate student, was hit on Huntingdon Street and died at the scene in the early hours of the 12th December.

Joshua Gregory, 27, was sentenced last Thursday after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, reports the BBC.

The court heard how Oshada was on his way home from a party with friends when he was struck by a Ford Focus which Gregory had taken without permission or insurance from his employer.

Prosecutors said how the car was spotted serving in Sherwood Rise prompting them to activate their blue lights. During this pursuit, Gregory reached nearly 80mph in a 30mph zone where the force of the collision was so great that Oshada was propelled nearly 46m.

Shortly after the car then collided with a central reservation and abandoned the car where he was pursued on foot and refused to take an alcohol breath test when caught before attempting to escape a second time.

Oshada’s brother travelled from Sri Lanka with his father and read a statement in court where he described Oshada as “studious and humble.”

He also told the court how it was “a time of great despair” when they went through the process of repatriating his brother adding that his mother was “emotionally shattered to see her son arriving home in a way she had never dreamt of.”

In a statement given to Nottinghamshire Police Oshada’s family, who live in Sri Lanka, said: “Our beloved Oshada Jayasundera was very close to our hearts and can never be forgotten.

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“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.

“This is a huge loss for us, and I hope no one will endure this pain that we are suffering.”

As well as his prison sentence, Gregory, will also receive a 12-year driving ban.

An investigation into Nottinghamshire Police’s pursuit of Gregory carried out by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) concluded that the actions and decision of all officers involved were “reasonable” and “appropriate”.

Feature Image via Nottinghamshire Police 

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