"You have pleaded guilty to causing the death of four people by dangerous driving.

"The accident in which these deaths occurred was devastating. The car you were driving crossed the central reservation of the dual carriageway and collided with a car coming the other way. That in turn led to the other collisions.

"Three of the deaths occurred in your car: Liam Hastings, Josh Bartlett and Marshall Haynes, all boys of 13. The fourth death was Howard Hillsdon, a young man of 21, who was driving the other vehicle.

"In addition a number of people were injured, five of them apart from yourself seriously. Several of those with serious injuries will have lasting effects from those injuries.

"The suffering caused goes much wider. I have read the heart-rending accounts of relatives of those killed about the effects of this accident on them.

"You set out on quite a short journey down the Oxford Eastern Bypass with eight young boys on board. One was travelling in the boot. Apart from yourself and the boy travelling in the front, none were restrained by seatbelts.

"Although I have seen evidence that the total weight of passengers would not have exceeded the maximum weight for which the car was designed, the weight was not normally distributed.

"Moreover, the boys were in high spirits because it was the birthday outing of your son. Not surprisingly they were somewhat boisterous and they were moving about in the car. They must have been a real distraction to you as the driver.

"That was a situation you created. Your decision to drive in those circumstances and your failure to stop when the distractions occurred made this a dangerous piece of driving.

"Moreover, to drive on a dual carriageway on which fast-moving traffic could be expected, with the boys crammed into your car without seatbelts, put at risk, as you must have realised, the life and limb of them and anyone else involved in any collision.

"Your manoeuvre from the outside lane to the inside lane is not necessarily to be criticised. However, you then moved without indicating back into the outside lane.

"You were travelling at about 70mph. It is clear that you lost control of the car, at least just before crossing the central reservation, and had suddenly to correct your steering.

"In my judgment your speed was in those circumstances greatly excessive. To travel at the maximum permitted speed in the circumstances in which you chose to drive compounded what you decided earlier to do.

"I accept that you are of previous good character with an unblemished driving record. You are 46. I have read the statements of friends and colleagues and it is clear that for nearly 30 years you have been a dedicated, well-liked and skilful nurse.

"I also accept that you have been seriously affected yourself by the accident. I have a number of medical reports about you. You face further treatment for the fractures to your leg and for a hernia.

"At least as important, you are suffering from a depressive illness with prominent symptoms of anxiety, the consultant psychiatrist reports.

"I have no difficulty in accepting that your remorse is genuine. Despite the irresponsibility of your behaviour on this occasion, you had always been a responsible person and there is no reason to doubt that you have felt anguish at the realisation of your responsibility.

"That anguish is in part due to the realisation that your son is one of those injured and to your anxiety about him if you are not there to care for him.

"Cases of causing death by dangerous driving are among the most difficult in which to pass sentence. As is usually the case, you did not intend to injure anyone. That factor is important, but so are the consequences of what you did.

"I have considered carefully the guideline authority, the case of Cooksley. All such cases as this involve death and the principal factor I am told to assess is the blameworthiness of the defendant rather than trying to value the life or lives lost.

"Any sentence inevitably risks appearing inadequate to anyone who equates it with a valuation of the lives of those who died.

"In my view, apart from taking the risk of multiple deaths and injuries, there were aggravating factors in driving where there were serious distractions and in driving at greatly excessive speed in those circumstances.

"Avoiding, as I must, taking into account the same matters twice, in my view this case is one described as of higher culpability because the aggravating factors are particularly serious.

"The starting points, had the case been contested, would have been in the region of five years after taking into account mitigation other than your physical and psychiatric injuries. That would normally have been reduced by a third, to a sentence of just over three years, because you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, despite, I accept, having no memory of the accident.

"I accept that a custodial sentence will tend to make more difficult your further treatment and convalescence. It will, according to the evidence of the psychiatrist, which I accept, be likely to worsen your depression quite markedly.

"I have considered carefully whether I should reduce the sentence and whether, as I am asked to, I can suspend it. In my judgement, it would not be appropriate to suspend the sentence. However, the effect of the prison sentence will impact more seriously because of your physical and mental state. I must make some reduction for the particular effect on you.

"Parliament has decreed that you serve half of any sentence I pass before released on licence. The sentence I pass is one of two years imprisonment. You will be disqualified from driving for six years and must take an extended retest."