The sentencing of Reece McKinven, the banned driver who ran over and killed 83-year-old Beryl Howard in Street, has sparked anger and frustration.

Many people feel 13 months in prison is far too short for taking someone's life—especially when McKinven was already banned from driving.

But while the sentence may seem lenient, it follows strict sentencing guidelines that judges must work within.

Here's a breakdown of how the court arrived at that decision and why the punishment wasn't longer.

What happened to Beryl Howard?

Beryl Howard died on 16 March 2023, after being hit by a Transit van driven by McKinven on Green Lane Avenue, Street, just before 5.20pm.

McKinven, who had no licence or insurance, reversed over her multiple times, leaving her with unsurvivable injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

When officers arrested him, they found 0.5g of cannabis in his possession, and a further search of his van uncovered more of the drug. Although cannabis was in his system, tests showed the level was not above the legal driving limit.

What was McKinven convicted of?

McKinven admitted to:

• Causing death by careless driving
• Causing death by driving without a licence
• Causing death by driving without insurance
• Possession of cannabis

At Taunton Crown Court, he was sentenced to 13 months in prison and banned from driving for two and a half years.

How did the judge decide the sentence?

McKinven was convicted of causing death by careless driving, which has a maximum sentence of five years. This is a lesser charge than causing death by dangerous driving, which carries a maximum of 14 years.

The key difference between the two offences is intent:

• Dangerous driving means taking clear and reckless risks, such as speeding, racing, or using a phone.
• Careless driving means driving below the standard of a careful driver, but without deliberate risk-taking.

The Judge 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."

What made the sentence harsher?

Several factors made McKinven's case more serious:

• He was already banned from driving – He had no licence or insurance and should not have been on the road.
• He ran over Beryl multiple times – Despite hitting her, he continued reversing.
• He had previous driving offences – The judge described his attitude to driving as "cavalier."
• He was caught with cannabis – While not linked to the crash, it added to his disregard for the law.

Why did he only get 13 months?

The Sentencing Council Guidelines for causing death by careless driving suggest a starting point of 36 weeks to 3 years in prison, depending on the severity of the case.

McKinven's actions fell in the higher range, but he received a one-third reduction for pleading guilty early, which is standard in the UK. This likely brought the sentence down from around 18 months to 13 months.

How long will he actually serve?

Under UK sentencing rules, McKinven will only serve half his sentence in custody—around six and a half months—before being released on licence. If he breaches the terms of his release, he could be sent back to prison.

Could the sentence have been longer?

If McKinven had been convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, he could have faced years behind bars. However, prosecutors must prove that he took a clear and avoidable risk, not just that he made a fatal mistake.

Many people will feel that McKinven's decision to drive while banned should have pushed the case into the "dangerous" category. But under current laws, driving without a licence doesn't automatically make an offence "dangerous driving"—something campaigners argue needs to change.

What about the driving ban?

McKinven has been banned from driving for two and a half years, though given that he was already banned when the crash happened, it's unclear how much of a deterrent that will be. If he's caught driving again, though, he could face a harsher punishment.

What do Beryl Howard's family say?

Beryl's heartbroken family say they will never recover from her loss.

Her 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."

He added: "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. Despite knowing he had struck something, he continued to drive his vehicle over Beryl a further three times."

Her daughter, Sharon Perry, added: "It has been so much harder as she suffered such a horrific death. It is so hard to bear thinking of the pain and terror she must have felt. We are very grateful to the members of the public who comforted her at the scene. We are a close family and saw Beryl almost every day. She is greatly missed. We will never get over what happened to her."