A NURSE has been jailed for two years after killing four people in Oxford's Eastern Bypass crash ten months ago.

There were angry scenes from relatives of some of the victims as 45-year-old Angela Dublin was handed her sentence at Oxford Crown Court which will see her released in 12 months.

As Mr Justice Crane read his sentence to a tense courtroom relatives shouted "it's an insult" and "my boy is rotting in a coffin" before they stormed out of court.

Dublin, of London Road, Headington, had previously admitted four counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The court heard how Dublin had seven children in her car before she lost control and veered across Oxford's Eastern Bypass on May 28 killing three of the youngsters, Marshall Haynes, Josh Bartlett, Liam Hastings, and student Howard Hillsdon, who was coming the opposite way.

Neil Moore, prosecuting, described how Dublin's Citron Xsara had been travelling at the 70mph speed limit.

The weight of the seven boys and Dublin was the equivalent of five adults, but worsened by the movement of the children, he added.

Witnesses described seeing six of the boys in the rear of the Citron Xsara acting boisterously and swapping seats, before the car veered out of control.

The prosecution said the boys arrived at Dublin's house in London Road, Headington at 4.30pm in two cars, one driven by her estranged husband Bert, who planned to return.

A birthday meal at the Longwall in Cowley was booked for 8pm but the restaurant was then told the party was running late.

Shortly before 7.30pm, Dublin allowed all seven children to get into the car while Mr Dublin was diverted to pick up other guests for the party. He was due to return to London Road, but Dublin set off before he arrive.

Jake Proper was in the front, the only child wearing a seatbelt, while Dublin's son Anton, Conor Hunt, Josh Bartlett, Aiden Wood and Liam Hastings squeezed on to the backseat. Marshall Haynes was in the boot.

Witness Benita Crook was driving behind the Xsara on the bypass and described the boys as "boisterous".

Mr Moore said: "Miss Crook noticed two white boys in the boot. The boys were moving around and swapping seats. They were making childish gesticulations to Miss Crook.

"She could see another boy, a dark skinned boy (presumed to be Anton), kneeling on the back seat facing the rear and unrestrained so the defendant would have been only able to see the back of his head if she looked in her mirror."

Driving at an estimated 70mph, without indicating, she cut into the inside lane, then veered back into the outside lane while the boys were still gesticulating and swapping places, Mr Moore added. He said: "The prosecution makes it quite plain the responsibility of controlling the activities of children in a car rests with the adult driving."

In a statement read to court, Benedict Emwonwu, saw Dublin pull in behind him but was travelling too quickly and had to overtake. "It looked like it was right on the edge," he said in a statement. He watched it as the car veered to the left and the right of the carriageway.

A third witness, Roger Norgate-Barnes, saw the Xsara 'fishtail' before veering across the central reservation, the prosecution added.

The Xsara crashed into the Honda Civic, being driven by crash victim Howard Hillsdon, travelling in the other direction and the cars began to 'rotate' together.

The rear parcel shelf, radiator and gearbox were flung from the Xsara and the bypass was littered with a 46-metre trail of debris while six of the boys were thrown from the car.

Mr Justice Crane described the accident on May 28 last year as "devastating" and the impact of the crash not only killed four, but left five others and Dublin with lasting injuries.

He said: "The boys were in high spirits because it was a 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 a driver.

"This 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 they and anyone else involved in any collision."

Sitting and supported by crutches Dublin who cannot remember what happened in the crash bowed her head as the sentence was read out.

Frank Burton, defending, told the court Dublin suffered a hernia and a fractured leg in the crash and needs further surgery.

He said she was suffering severe depression and anxiety panic attacks and sent her apologies to the families of those who lost their lives or were injured.

Mr Burton said Dublin had been a nurse for 27 years at the John Radcliffe and the Radcliffe Infirmary, and spent all her life helping injured and sick children.

Mr Burton added: "Like the victims' lives, her life has been unalterably changed."

Mr Justice Crane said: "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."

Relatives of survivors Aiden Wood, Jake Proper and Conor Hunt were all in court alongside the families of Marshall Haynes, Josh Bartlett, Liam Hastings and Angela Dublin and her son Anton to hear the ruling.

Dublin was also handed a six-year driving ban.