A disqualified driver from Cawston whose car mounted the pavement, killing two young women while drunk and on drugs was jailed for eight years yesterday.

A disqualified driver from Cawston whose car mounted the pavement, killing two young women while drunk and on drugs was jailed for eight years yesterday.

Scott Nicholls, from Cawston, was twice the legal alcohol limit and had traces of drugs in his system at the time of the crash, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Emma Harold, 26, and Kate Wasyluk, 25, were killed instantly while Emma's sister Rebecca, who was also hit by the car, was left with life-changing injuries.

Nicholls, 20, pleaded guilty to causing the deaths when his car mounted the pavement and hit them as they were walking home from a night out in Ipswich during the early hours of February 21 this year.

Rebecca Harold, who has been using a wheelchair since the crash, wept when Nicholls pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

The court heard how he had been disqualified from driving for 36 months in 2007 for driving without insurance.

Prosecuting, Godfried Duah said that Nicholls had been at a birthday party on the evening of February 20. He took the keys of his brother's Citroen Saxo and went to another property where he picked up a girl and set off in the car again.

Mr Duah said he drove down a residential street at about 50mph and overtook a car on the wrong side of the road.

He said the vehicle clipped the kerb and Nicholls lost control of the car, colliding with a garden wall.

The crash resulted in the instant death of Miss Harold and Miss Wasyluk, who were walking along the pavement.

When police arrested Nicholls his blood was tested and traces of ecstasy and heroin were found. He was also twice the drink-drive limit.

Glen Harold, the father of Emma and Rebecca, made a statement which was read out by lawyers in court.

He wrote: "Something a father should never have to do is to go to hospital and identify his daughter to the police.

"Because of this man's reckless and selfish actions I have lost a daughter and Rebecca is still seriously ill. It has had a devastating effect on the whole family.

"My daughter Emma will never have the chance to get married, or to have children or to flourish in her work. She will never again be able to do the simple things in life that we all take for granted."

Defending, Martyn Levett told the court that after the incident his client said he wished he had died in the accident instead of the two victims.

The court heard how he said: "I would like to say I'm sorry for the pain I have caused. I think about it every day and every day I wish it was me who had died instead of them.'

Nicholls was sentenced to eight years for the deaths by dangerous driving and three months for driving while disqualified to run concurrently.

He was sent to a secure psychiatric institution and will be transferred to prison at a later date.

Sentencing, Judge Peter Thompson told him: "You were driving with flagrant disregard to the rules of the road.

"You were driving at almost twice the legal of alcohol and had taken ecstasy that evening and had taken heroin some time earlier in the day.'