The motorist who chatted away on his phone while the motorcyclist he had crashed into lay dying before him has been jailed.

Darren February mowed down dad Kenneth Baldwin, 52, as he sped along a street in Holland Park on the wrong side of the road. He was later seen trying to remove evidence linking him to the vehicle he was driving before driving off.

The 32-year-old, of Octavia House in North Kensington , was imprisoned for eight-and-a-half years at Southwark Crown Court on May 12.

The career criminal crashed into lorry driver Mr Baldwin while driving his ex-girlfriend’s Vauxhall Astra on St Ann’s Road in the early hours of December 14.

CCTV footage showed him casually talking on the phone and trying to remove evidence linking him to the vehicle in the aftermath of the collision.

The court had earlier heard February has an lengthy criminal record dating back to when he was 12 for offences which includes burglary, assault and theft.

He was involved in a road traffic collision while disqualified in July 2006 after he crashed into a bollard and ran off, and jailed for six months for failing to report a car accident in Portobello Road in 2007.

He was sentenced to four more years in prison in 2013 for assault, affray, criminal damage and a number of thefts, and was on licence at the time of the fatal crash, near Shepherd’s Bush .

He was driving along St Ann’s Road at speeds between 34 and 58mph when he hit Mr Baldwin’s Honda ST 1100 head-on.

'Little regard'

Prosecutor Louise French said: “The defendant showed little regard to the man lying on the pavement.

“On the contrary he walked back to the car and retrieved some property and then a resident who had heard the crash saw him jogging off.

“All this time he is still neglecting the deceased.”

He fled from the scene, leaving paramedics to declare Mr Baldwin dead on the road at 5.29am.

February was arrested a day later after he was caught stealing from a telephone kiosk.

He gave the name Robert Fagan and was taken to Holborn police station where his fingerprints were taken. February was then linked to the fatal hit-and-run accident and denied he was the Astra driver.

Speaking in a victim statement impact prior to sentencing, Mr Baldwin’s ex-partner of 18 years Meryl Sadler-Baldwin revealed the toll the tragedy was having on her and her daughter. She said: ““I am having nightmares, so many emotions and feelings of guilt.

“The news of Ken’s death devastated me and I cannot accept it has happened. I miss Ken so much.

“Our daughter had been texting and writing to Ken asking him to come home”

“Prison is too good for the person that did this. He has taken Ken away and he can live. If he had gone to Ken he might of saved him.”

Detective Sergeant Jeff Edwards, from the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “We would like to pass on our heartfelt condolences to Ken’s family at this difficult time.

“February showed complete disregard for other road users. Following the collision, he left Mr Baldwin lying critically injured in the road; his main concern was for himself.

“The sentencing reflects the seriousness of his crimes and despite pleading guilty, he was rightly admonished by the judge for his actions.

February was also disqualified from driving for 10 years with an extended retest, and had his licence endorsed.