A prolific drug dealer who ran over a man he was supplying and dragged his body for almost 100 metres up a road has been jailed for 12-and-a-half years.

Erasmus Ahwoi was sentenced to eight years for causing the death of Tom Rossiter by dangerous driving and four-and-a-half years consecutive for separate offences of drug-dealing.

Judge Jeremy Carey told the 30-year-old: “You are a dealer in Class A drugs and have been for most of your life.

“You are a scourge on society and you have shown absolutely no desire, despite two previous convictions for Class A possession with intent to supply, to mend your ways.

“I have absolutely no sympathy for the predicament in which you found yourself on July 4 last year when you were dealing drugs.”

Ahwoi, from Croydon, was acquitted in January of the more serious alternative charges of murder and manslaughter.

He admitted two offences of possessing heroin and crack cocaine and money laundering involving almost £70,000 cash paid into his accounts from dealing over six years.

Ahwoi denied the other charges, maintaining he did not see the father-of-two standing in front of him in Swanley when he drove off.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the victim died under the wheels of Ahwoi’s hired Kia Venga in the daylight hit-and-run from multiple injuries.

Mr Rossiter, 42, had arranged to meet Ahwoi in Hart Dyke Road. Ahwoi claimed the victim and his brother Joe Lee tried to rob him of his drugs after getting into his car.

Mr Rossiter got out and was in front of the car when Ahwoi drove off into Lynden Way with him underneath.

Several residents and passing motorists in the area reported hearing a revving car engine and then screaming for the vehicle to stop.

Mr Rossiter, who was 5ft 3in tall, shouted “God help me” just before he was struck by the car,

One witness told police he saw Mr Rossiter lying in the road before the car drove over his legs and his head.

"You are a scourge on society and you have shown absolutely no desire to mend your ways" - Judge Jeremy Carey

The Kia Venga then made a heavy revving sound, followed by what was described as "a scratching noise, as if someone was dragging a heavy bag along the floor".

Mr Rossiter was “spat out” from beneath the car as it turned into Rowan Road. Part of Mr Rossiter’s body would have been protruding.

A police investigator concluded the effect on the car of him being underneath would have been “readily apparent” to the driver.

Mr Lee, repeatedly shouted at Ahwoi that Mr Rossiter was under the car.

He screamed: “You have ******* killed him. He’s underneath. You have killed my brother.”

Ahwoi fled the scene and met up with an ex-­girlfriend. He made searches on her phone for "Kent hit-­and-­run" and other similar phrases.

Judge Carey said the offending was grave and the circumstances were appalling.

He added Ahwoi would be banned from driving for three years on his release from the sentence.

Judge Carey said no sentence could restore Mr Rossiter to those who grieved his death.

“The length of the sentence cannot possible satisfy their understandable sense of outrage, anger and, in the case of his wife and close family, their desolation at the loss,” he said.

“The sentence is a necessary part of this tragedy but whatever remarks this court makes and whatever sentence passed it is well recognised it will be inadequate to those I have just referred to."

He told Ahwoi: “I sentence you on the basis that at the crucial moment when were about to drive off Tom Rossiter was not in view. He was in front of the bonnet of the car.

“You must have realised he was in the vicinity because this fast moving scene is mitigated to the extent you were to a degree in a state of panic as a result of this incident in the car.

"Ahwoi's reckless actions have led to the unnecessary death of a man who was dragged along the street and suffered some quite appalling injuries" - Detective Chief Inspector Nick Gossett

“But I am equally sure that although when you went to drive off you didn’t deliberately drive over him, you were aware when your car went over his prone body that he was beneath your wheels.

“In other words, I am sure you knew immediately you had run over him. Anyone with an ounce of decency and an ounce of backbone would have stopped immediately.

“If you had done it seems highly possible that Tom Rossiter would not have died. He would have been seriously injured, there can be no doubt, but he would have had a chance.

“As it was, you thought nothing of him and thought only of yourself.

“The agony he must have suffered for 30 seconds or more as his body was dragged along underneath your vehicle doesn’t bear thinking about.

“His flesh was torn off as he was dragged up the road. Only at the top of the road did his body fall away. You sped off again to save your skin.

“I reject as simply not credible your assertion you were not aware of what happened. You knew full well.”

Ahwoi had claimed he intended to speak to the police two days later but did not have the guts to do so.

Judge Carey said if he passed consecutive sentences for all Ahwoi’s offending it would total 16 years and eight months, but it would be out of proportion for the overall culpability.

He imposed a total driving ban of eight years and seven months, to produce a result that Ahwoi would be off the road for three years on his release.

After sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Nick Gossett said: "Ahwoi's reckless actions have led to the unnecessary death of a man who was dragged along the street and suffered some quite appalling injuries.

"The sentence passed today will hopefully provide some closure and I would again like to thank the family and friends of Mr Rossiter for their support with our investigation and also the courage shown throughout this difficult time."