A drug-dealer who caused a pedestrian “catastrophic” injuries in a hit-and-run in a stolen car has been jailed for just under four years.

Jonathon Kalemba was given a further four years and three months for drug-dealing – making a total sentence of just over eight years.

He was fleeing from police when he mowed down veterinary surgeon Dorota Paskuvic in Chatham.

The 28-year-old Lithuanian, who is now confined to a wheelchair with life-changing disabilities, told in a moving victim statement how her life had been “destroyed” and she could no longer do the job she loved.

A judge described it as “a wicked crime” and said it was hard to imagine a more serious case.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the stolen Ford Fiesta was spotted in Medway just before 7pm on September 18 last year.

Police officers followed it with sirens sounding and blue lights flashing. Kalemba stopped at traffic lights and indicated as if to pull over.

But when an officer approached, he sped off. The police gave chase and on reaching Manor Road saw there was a woman lying on the pavement.

Prosecutor Mary Jacobson said Kalemba had driven at speed around a 110 degree bend on the wrong side of the road and mowed down Miss Paskuvic as she was about to cross the road.

Most of the pursuit and the aftermath of the collision was captured on CCTV and shown in court.

Police officers got out of their car and went to help the victim. Witnesses told of being able to see that the car was going to hit her.

They described her being thrown 10ft in the air, landing on the pavement and hitting a wall.

“The defendant made no attempt to swerve, brake or stop,” said Miss Jacobson. “The car was abandoned nearby. The defendant and another man in the car decamped and ran off.

A 15-year-old girl who had been in the car told police she had been picked up in London by Kalemba, who she knew as Peter, in the afternoon and he drove to Kent.

She said she was scared as he drove away from the police car.

She saw the pedestrian hit by the car as she stepped off the pavement.

Just before another passenger had told Kalemba to slow down.

Miss Jacobson said 26.4g of crack cocaine was found in the consul of the abandoned car.

When arrested, Kalemba first claimed he had been a passenger and not the driver. He told of seeing a story about the hit and run on KentOnline.

Miss Jacobson said the victim, who worked for PDSA animal hospital in Gillingham, had been fit and well but suffered life-changing spinal and head injuries.

She now had partial paralysis of her arms and total paralysis of her hands, chest, abdomen and legs.

She needed help with dressing and personal hygiene and there was “devastating and distressing loss of self-respect and self-esteem”.

Her life expectancy was reduced to 20-25 years.

Kalemba, of no fixed address, had been caught drug dealing by undercover officers six days earlier. He was on licence at the time of the driving incident, having been released from a 45-month sentence in April for drug-dealing.

“The injuries were horrendous and have affected her life...” - Judge Charles Macdonald QC

He admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, having no insurance and possessing drugs with intent to supply.

He was originally jointly charged with Xavier Attuah-Ansu, 20, of Montgomery Avenue, Chatham, but the driving charge against him was dropped.

Kalemba also admitted possessing crack cocaine worth £1,500 with intent to supply the same day.

He was banned from driving for eight years.

Passing sentence, Judge Charles Macdonald QC said: “This is an extremely sad and serious case. The mitigation is the driving lasted for 37 seconds and the defendant has belatedly expressed remorse.”

Kalemba, he said, had “hurtled” into Miss Paskuvic and drove off “leaving her for dead”.

“The injuries were horrendous and have affected her life,” said the judge. “She is now paralysed. There were devastating mental and physical effects on her.

“This capable and talented young woman would have had an extremely useful and fulfilling life as a veterinary surgeon and now finds her life ruined.

“The period you drove was short, but long enough to destroy her life. You have committed driving offences in the past.

“I have tried to imagine whether there could be a worse case of its kind. It is hard to imagine but there must be one.”

The judge added: “You are going to prison for 97 months for this wicked crime.”

The maximum sentence for causing serious injury by dangerous driving is five years after a trial, and before credit for a guilty plea.

The court heard Kalemba had eight previous convictions for 17 offences, including possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

James Ross, defending, said Kalemba grew up in South London and was “inducted in the ways of drugs” by someone close to him.

He wrote a letter to the victim apologising for the harm he had caused.

Miss Paskuvic bravely sat in the well of the court in full view of Kalemba as it was read out.

“I am writing to express my deepest regret and offer you my sincere apologies for my actions,” he wrote. “I can’t begin to imagine what you are going through right now and I pray your current situation improves.”

Mr Ross said it was an “unintended outcome” by Kalemba, adding: “It was 37 seconds of very bad judgement.”

Miss Paskuvic said in her victim statement she had little recollection of what happened but remembered she was planning to meet her partner in Strood.

“I recall crossing the road and being aware of a dark shadow to my right,” she said. “I have no further recollection. My next memory is waking up in hospital.

It will result in me spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair, unable to walk..." - Victim impact statement of Dorota Paskuvic

“I have had two operations for the damage to my spine. It will result in me spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair, unable to walk.

“I have made some progress in that I can move my arms to some degree. There is some movement to my head, neck and arms. Any movement comes with pain.

“I studied hard in Lithuania to become a veterinary surgeon. I took the opportunity to come to England to further my knowledge and experience.

“I loved working for the PDSA. I felt I was giving something back to the local community. I was making plans to start a family. I was at a happy, settled place, looking forward to our future together.

“My life has been taken from me. I was passionate about my work. I enjoyed painting and rock climbing. My condition is such I will never potentially do any of those things again.

“My future is in turmoil. I cannot think of my future now. I have no choice but to take each day as it comes. My life has been stolen from me.

“I feel the best parts of my life have been taken from me. I am confined now to a chair. I am angry about what has been done to me. I can’t show it, because my body won’t let me.

“Everything I worked for has been taken from me. It was my dream and passion to become a veterinary doctor. I am an only child. I worked hard to make my parents proud of me.

“I love animals and children. I did five-and-a-half years of veterinary doctor training. I am proud of myself and my achievements. One of the best days of my life was when I graduated.

“I got a job at PDSA in Gillingham. I had been there a year at the time of the incident. This was the job of my dreams. I was proud to be promoted, but the incident intervened.

“Now, my life is destroyed. I feel so angry about what happened to me and what has been taken from me. Others have to do the most basic things for me.

“I can’t dry my eyes when I cry. I feel humiliation. If I didn’t have my mother with me I wouldn’t want to go on living. All the basic functions have been taken from me.

“I can no longer hug or properly kiss. I always wanted children. I was looking to start a family. If I am able to have children, I will not be able to hold them close to me.

“I am confined to watching what is around me without the ability to participate.”