A family has spoken of their devastation and anger after a man was jailed for killing a much-loved grandmother by repeatedly reversing over her in Street.

Reece McKinven, 31, struck 83-year-old Beryl Howard with his van, leaving her with fatal injuries. The court heard that McKinven ran over Beryl multiple times as he attempted to reverse, before driving away.

Beryl's family say they have been left "shattered" by her death and believe McKinven should have faced a far longer sentence.

McKinven, who was driving without a licence or insurance, had cannabis in his system at the time. Although the amount was not over the legal limit, a further search of his van uncovered more of the drug.

He was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court to 13 months in prison after admitting causing death by careless driving, driving without a licence or insurance, and possession of cannabis. He was also banned from driving for two-and-a-half years.

Speaking after the sentencing, Beryl's son, Ray Howard, said: "Beryl was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who brought immense joy and love to all who knew her.

"Her sudden and brutal death has left our family shattered. Knowing that McKinven was driving without a licence, without insurance, and after consuming illegal drugs only deepens our heartbreak and anger at the entirely preventable nature of this tragedy.

"McKinven was fully aware that he was on the road illegally and showed complete disregard for the law and the safety of others; despite knowing he had struck something, he continued to drive his vehicle over Beryl a further three times.

"We are grateful that someone sat with her whilst she died, otherwise she would have been on her own in her last few minutes of life."

READ MORE: Why did banned driver who killed great-grandmother get just 13 months in jail?

The family has questioned why the detection of illegal drugs in McKinven's system was not taken into account in sentencing, with Ray arguing that even a slightly higher level would have allowed for a much longer sentence.

"Cannabis is currently an illegal drug; therefore, we strongly believe any detection of illegal drugs following such a crime should be a factor in sentencing," he said.

Beryl's daughter, Sharon Perry, said her mother's death had left the family devastated.

"It has been so much harder as she suffered such a horrific death," she said. "It is so hard to bear thinking of the pain and terror she must have felt.

"We are a close family and saw Beryl almost every day. She is greatly missed. We will never get over what happened to her."

Judge Cook told McKinven: "I accept that you genuinely failed to realise Beryl Howard was behind you, but your van had wing mirrors with an enhanced blind spot and she was there to be seen.

"You have a history of offences and it shows a cavalier attitude to driving."

Investigating officer Dai Nicholas said the case had been extremely distressing for Beryl's family and thanked those who comforted her at the scene.

"We want to thank those who helped at the scene of this incident, as well as the witnesses who provided statements, which ultimately helped in our efforts to achieve a successful conviction in this case," he said.