A motorist who killed a a pedestrian while high on cocaine and seconds after he had been using his mobile phone behind the wheel was jailed for five years today.

Andrea Greenidge failed to spot Anthony Farinaro, who was known to his friends as Frodo, crossing the road ahead of him on October 29, 2016.

His Audi A3 sent Mr Farinaro into the air “like a rag doll.” The 30-year-old died later from multiple injuries.

In tributes from his friends shortly after his death, he was described as a "dearly loved friend and son", who would be "missed by all who knew him".

Today, 56-year-old Greenidge, of Harwoods Road, Watford, pleaded guilty to causing the death of Mr Farinaro by dangerous driving.

Mr Farinaro, who lived in Watford, was returning home on foot after visiting a pub in Station Road in the town that night.

His route home took him to St Albans Road, Watford, on a stretch that is a dual carriageway.

Prosecutor Wayne Cleaver told St Albans Crown Court Mr Farinaro started to cross the road shortly after 10.20pm.

Judge Graham Arran was told there was a central reservation between the carriageways, but at the point where Mr Farinaro was crossing there was a “gap in the barrier” to allow pedestrians to through.

The court was told the road was well-lit and the speed limit for the road, which is in a built up part of the town, was 30mph.

Mr Cleaver said the victim began crossing the northbound carriageway as Greenidge was approaching at speed in his Audi A3.

The court was told that Greenidge should have seen Mr Farinaro from 106 metres away.

However, as he drove at 46mph along the road, and having been on his phone, he failed to spot the pedestrian.

A split second before impact he slammed on the brakes, but it was too late and he struck Mr Farinaro at between 35 and 38mph according to a police accident investigator.

The prosecutor said the victim was was thrown into the air, landing on the bonnet of the Audi and striking his head on the windscreen before ending up on the pavement.

Mr Cleaver said witness Ruth Archer had seen the crash as she waited in her car nearby, and said it was as if a rag doll had been flung into the air.

He said: “She got out of her car and went straight to where he lay and provided him with some comfort in the last few seconds of his life.”

She called the emergency services from her mobile phone and as she tended to the victim saw Greenidge walking towards them "saunter" towards her on the phone.

Mr Cleaver said: “He appeared not to have any sense of urgency.”

Judge Arran was told that at the scene the defendant was seen to hand his phone to another man who had arrived, as well as a glass bottle which the man smashed.

Fragments of the glass were later tested and traces of cocaine were found on them.

Greenidge was arrested and found to have three times the legal limit of cocaine in his system.

His phone showed that at 10.21pm the defendant had taken a call on his mobile which lasted 15 seconds and ended 12 seconds before the collision.

Mr Farinaro's mother, school teacher Ruth Evans, read a statement to the court in which she told how her son’s death had brought suffering for her whole family.

“You cannot realise how many lives you have changed by your reckless, thoughtless actions. For me it feels very much like you killed a family that night.”

She went on: “I have nightmares about how Anthony died and he died on that pavement without comfort from me.”

Mrs Evans also told of her shock when attending one of the first court appearances of Greenidge and on seeing him for the first time realised he was the son of her next door neighbour.

Passing sentence Judge Arran told Greenidge: “He was crossing the road from your right to your left and you should have seen him.”

The judge said he would have seen the victim when he was “approximately 106 metres away.”

He went on “You were using your phone up to 12 seconds before the collision. That may well have caused some distraction.”

The judge said the collision was caused that night by the defendant taking drugs, driving faster than the road permitted, his slow reaction time and “to a certain extent” his use of his mobile phone.

He jailed Greenidge for five years and disqualified him from driving for five and a half years.

The judge also ordered that Ruth Archer be awarded £250 out of public funds in recognition of her actions that night.