A FOSTER father who was struck and killed by a drug driver has been described by his family as the ‘life and soul of the party,’ a court has heard.

Tomaz Krohme was 35 when he was hit on his bike by health care assistant Joshua Julian at the junction of Addington Road and Alexander Road on June 10, 2020.

He was working for Deliveroo at the time of the incident as he had lost his previous job due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Julian, 27, of Skinner Drive, Wokingham, was found guilty by a majority verdict on May 17 of causing death by driving without due care and consideration while over the limit.

He was jailed for four years by Judge Amjad Nawaz at Reading Crown Court on Friday, June 30.

In a victim impact statement read out by prosecuting barrister William Eaglestone, Mr Krohme’s sister described the keen cyclist as ‘well-liked, helpful and supportive’.

The statement read: “Tomaz was my brother and the bond between us was strong. He was a friend and my support in every situation.

“Because of our difficult family situation, we lost our parents at a young age, we were very emotionally connected and supported each other in difficult times.

“After the death of our parents in 2006, Tomaz was very hardworking and responsible and had a good reputation and good maturity.

“He was a foster family for our young brother who was nine at the time to avoid him going to a home.”

Mr Krohme moved from Poland to the UK to help support his siblings financially. He was due to interview for a managerial role at Royal Berkshire Hospital, where he had previously worked, at the time of his death.

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His sister added: “He enjoyed working at the hospital. He said it give him a sense of fulfilment. He was very helpful to everyone – he was happy when he could help someone.

“To this day I still can’t believe the fact that I will never see him again – it has been three years now and the hurt is still the same.”

Mr Krohme’s brother also provided a statement which read: “He was like a father to me, he always wanted the best for me.

“He made sure I had the best care – he was the best brother I could have hoped for. It feels like a part of me has died.”

Mr Krohme was ‘thrown’ off his bike and into a tree after colliding with Julian, who was driving home from the Royal Berkshire Hospital after a shift.

Julian, who denied the charge, was also found to be drug driving at the time with namely 4.9mg of cannabis per litre of blood in his system – the legal limit being 2mg.

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It was the prosecution’s case that Julian, who was 25 at the time of the incident, had been driving from 44mph to 49mph in a 20mph.

Defending Julian, barrister James McCrindle said the defendant had been working on a coronavirus ward at the time and had been smoking cannabis to help him sleep due to the ‘trauma of people dying’.

“He has taken steps to address that behaviour,” said Mr McCrindle. “He’s completely stopped smoking.

“He has suffered trauma himself as a result of his involvement in this tragic collision. He has sought help for the PTSD he has suffered now for three years.”

He added that Julian is of previous good character and has a ‘very good driving record’.

Sentencing, Judge Nawaz said: “This is a tragic case for everyone involved. Any sentence this court passes cannot undo this damage.”

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Julian was charged with causing death by dangerous driving which the jury acquitted him. Instead, they found him guilty of the alternative charge of causing death by driving without due care/consideration.

He will serve half his sentence before being released on licence. He has also been disqualified from driving for four years overall and will have to take an extended retest.