A high-flying university graduate is facing a lengthy spell behind bars for causing a man’s death in a horror crash in his dad’s Range Rover.

Shiam Sugarnan, who works for global financial firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), was speeding and on the wrong side of the road when he collided almost head-on with a taxi, killing the rear-seat passenger.

As he drove along the southbound carriageway of the A2 Jubilee Way towards Dover ferry terminal in the early hours of September 2, 2022, he overtook a stationary car in his southbound lane.

But he then failed to move back over and therefore headed along what was the northbound carriageway for over a kilometre, ignoring an illuminated 'Keep left' sign and at almost twice the speed limit.

He was, as the prosecution said, on "a collision course" with the oncoming Seat minicab, its driver, and passenger Martin Waters.

Mr Waters, a 57-year-old train conductor who lived in Deal, was returning from work at the time. He died of multiple injuries.

Sugarnan, who was aged 20 and studying at the London School of Economics at the time of the crash, had had a licence for about two years but had never driven in Kent before.

He was found guilty by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday at the end of a four-day trial. He did not give evidence.

Due to a law change in respect of such offences committed after June 28, 2022, the maximum penalty that can now be imposed when he returns to court for sentencing next month is life.

The previous maximum was 14 years.

Sugarnan and his dad, who owns a number of restaurants, were heading to Dover to catch a ferry in order to attend a charity event in Italy when the "almost head-on" smash occurred, said prosecutor Laurence Imrie.

Dashcam footage from both vehicles captured the horrific moment the two vehicles collided just after 1am.

Sugarnan's driving was dangerous, added Mr Imrie, in that it fell "far below" the standard expected of a careful and competent motorist.

Having crossed a double white line onto the northbound side of the carriageway to overtake the stationary Audi, he then drove for as long as 1.33km in the wrong direction and between 53 and 55mph when the limit for vehicles heading to the ferry terminal was 30mph, the court heard.

Despite the 'Keep left' sign, Sugarnan also ended up travelling with the central barrier on his nearside.

The taxi on the other hand was heading in the opposite direction, in the correct lane and below the 70mph speed limit for northbound traffic.

Although both drivers swerved when they saw the oncoming headlights, neither was able to avoid the collision and hit each other almost head-on.

The court was told that despite the efforts of the emergency services and members of the public, Mr Waters's life could not be saved.

After the collision, Sugarnan, of Hagden Lane in Watford, was arrested and subsequently gave a 'No comment' interview.

The second time he was formally questioned he confirmed he had been behind the wheel of the Range Rover and explained where he had been driving to and from.

He makes the most horrific mistake. He follows the instruction. He doesn't know the road, he hasn't driven in Kent before and he thinks he is driving on the right side of the road...

At the start of the trial, his barrister Howard Godfrey KC had told the jury that what was "the most horrific" case resulted from an accident and not any criminal conduct.

He said that having overtaken the Audi, Sugarnan drove according to the "white arrow indicating straight ahead" instruction as displayed by Waze.

Furthermore, he said there were no "clear" road markings other than the double white line, the defendant and his father were not "in a rush" to catch their ferry, the road was dark, signage may have been "potentially" impacted by overgrown foliage and there were no other vehicles ahead of him to indicate he needed to pull back in.

"He makes the most horrific mistake. He follows the instruction. He doesn't know the road, he hasn't driven in Kent before and he thinks he is driving on the right side of the road," said Mr Godfrey.

"He makes a mistake - there is no doubt about that. But it's not dangerous driving. It was somebody doing his best to drive properly but making, as it turns out, a terrible and, as it turns out, fatal mistake."

But the prosecution refuted the suggestion, with Mr Imrie telling the court: "It is the prosecution case that his driving was dangerous because it did fall far below the standard expected of a careful and competent driver.

"While it might well have been reasonable to manoeuvre onto the wrong side of the road to overtake a parked vehicle for a short period of time, it was completely unreasonable to then not return to the correct side of the road.

"The prosecution say it was dangerous to drive for such a distance southbound on the northbound lane. It was dangerous to ignore the 'Keep left' sign and while driving at a speed above the limit.

"The prosecution accept his dangerous driving was unintentional but that doesn't make it any less dangerous."

The court was told Sugarnan works an actuarial associate for PwC, managing financial risk using mathematics and statistics.

Having been convicted, he was released on bail until he is sentenced on March 28.

Before the jury had been sworn in for the trial, Judge Simon James was told that road markings not in place at the time of the incident were now present.

But Mr Imrie said that change was "irrelevant" to the issue of whether Sugarnan's driving was dangerous in respect of the road conditions he had faced.