A "disgraceful" drug-driver who killed a father and his pregnant daughter before fleeing the scene as his victims lay dying has been jailed for 16 years.

Yoram Hirshfeld, 81, and Noga Sella, 37, died when Nitesh Bissendary’s car mounted a pavement and hit a family-of-five in Ramsgate in August.

During his trial at Canterbury Crown Court, Bissendary, 31, denied causing their deaths by dangerous driving.

But yesterday, jurors returned unanimous guilty verdicts after deliberating for four hours and eight minutes.

After the verdicts were delivered, Bissendary could be seen sitting down in the dock, taking deep breaths.

Bissendary returned for sentencing today, when he was handed a 16-year prison term.

Judge Simon James told Bissendary he had shown "limited remorse" following his "blatant disregard for others".

"I find myself forced to a sure conclusion that you were driving while your judgement was significantly impaired by cocaine," he said.

"This was in my judgement the most serious offence of its type.

"I consider the custodial term at the very top of the current sentencing range is called for in your case."

The judge added there are "no words" to describe the "pain and trauma" his actions caused to the family, and labelled Bissendary's actions following the crash "entirely self-serving".

"They effectively had no chance and in a split second all their lives had been ripped apart..."

Judge James said the CCTV footage played in court “will remain indelibly fixed in the memory of all who have had to watch it.

“It showed that they effectively had no chance and in a split second all their lives had been ripped apart,” he said.

He called Noga a “brilliant physicist” and “much-loved and loving wife, daughter and mother.”

And he described Professor Hirshfeld as a “learned and intelligent man, whose loss has left a hole in so many different people’s lives."

He told Bissendary: “The consequences of your actions were catastrophically tragic and no words can begin to describe the pain, torment and loss you have caused.”

Omer Sella, Mrs Sella’s husband, who watched the hearing remotely, told the court of his devastation in a victim impact statement.

He said the family were celebrating his wife’s pregnancy moments before she and her father were killed.

“My family’s life changed in a way that is not quite comprehensible to me," Mr Sella said.

“This was supposed to be Noga’s time to shine and do whatever she wanted to do, Noga has been my strength and pillar.

”Noga was the glue of our family, she held us together, she was an amazing parent who attended to all our children’s needs with ease.

“The feeling that I should have done more will never leave me. I spend the nights repeating what happened, and think ‘what if I stayed longer for dinner?’

“I think ‘what if we walked another way?’

“I tell my children to stay on the pavement and they reply ‘we were on the pavement when the car crashed into us'.”

Mr Hirshfeld’s wife, Julie, also told the court this morning “three families have been shattered” by Bissendary’s actions.

“There are no words to describe the devastating loss of my beloved daughter and husband,” she said.

Representing Bissendary, Surinder Singh Gohlan said he was working to address his cocaine problem while in custody.

Bissendary had argued he became distracted while attempting to lift a faulty clutch with his hand while turning onto the route.

And he insisted he ran from the scene “in a panic” after not realising he had struck anyone - despite Mrs Sella being trapped under the wreckage of his black Alfa Romeo.

He returned to his vehicle with his parents shortly afterwards to retrieve cocaine from his car, as emergency workers treated the injured, the prosecution said.

But Bissendary claimed he was unaware of most of the injured family members and only wished to switch off the ignition.

He also claimed he refused to give blood as part of a drug test in the aftermath, because he suffers from a needle phobia.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Lynn Wilczek of Kent Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit said Bissendary's actions had been "nothing short of disgraceful".

"There are few things in life as painful as the loss of a loved one, especially when such a loss comes without warning and as the result of someone else’s irresponsible behaviour," she said.

"To lose two people at the same time is unimaginable.

"From the moment he took cocaine before getting behind the wheel of his car, the actions of Nitesh Bissendary have been nothing short of disgraceful.

"He has refused to take full responsibility for a tragic incident that was completely avoidable and entirely of his making, going so far as to run away whilst his victims lay injured and dying.

"Denying his actions were dangerous only caused more pain for the family as they were forced to relive the terrible events of that night during his trial.

"I am pleased the jury saw fit to convict Bissendary for his crimes and that he will now serve a significant period of time behind bars where he belongs."

The tragedy unfolded outside a multi-storey car park in Leopold Street at about 9.30pm on August 10, when the five victims - who were visiting from Cambridge - were returning to their hotel following a meal.

Opening the case, Prosecutor Nina Ellin said the crash was “entirely avoidable” and Bissendary’s judgement was impaired after taking cocaine.

"The Crown say the fault of the collision was entirely the defendant's," she said.

"The collision was entirely avoidable.

"The very fact the vehicle mounted the kerb showed the defendant was not controlling his vehicle as a competent and careful driver should do."

Mr Gohlan argued Bissendary’s driving was not dangerous, adding he had a momentary lapse in concentration while resolving a clutch issue.

Mrs Sella was pronounced dead at the scene and Mr Hirshfeld died shortly afterwards.

Mr Sella, 40, suffered internal organ damage and their five-year-old daughter sustained a life-threatening head injury.

"From the moment he took cocaine before getting behind the wheel of his car, the actions of Nitesh Bissendary have been nothing short of disgraceful..."

The couple's eight-year-old son suffered shock and minor injuries.

Bissendary, of Highlands Glade in Manston, was found guilty of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Before trial, he admitted two lesser charges of causing death by careless driving.

He also pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, failing to provide a sample for analysis and possession with intent to supply cocaine.

Det Insp Wilczek added: "This case should serve as a stark reminder to all motorists of the dangers of drug-driving and why we do not hesitate to take action against anyone who is found to be under the influence.

"Such selfish actions really do put lives at risk."