A man has been jailed for causing the death of a “much loved” grandmother in Somerset. Beryl Howard was killed by a Transit van driven by Reece McKinven in March 2023 as he attempted to reverse on Green Lane Avenue in Street.
83-year-old Beryl was struck multiple times on Thursday, March 16, 2023, resulting in fatal injuries that led to her being declared deceased at the scene. McKinven, from Pearmain Road in Street, was arrested with 0.5g of cannabis and traces in his system, though not exceeding the legal threshold.
Additional quantities of the drug were discovered inside his vehicle. The 31-year-old faced charges including causing death by careless driving, no licence, no insurance, and possession of class B drug – cannabis.
He pleaded guilty and received a 13-month sentence at Taunton Crown Court on Tuesday, January 28, alongside a driving ban of two-and-a-half years. Judge Cook remarked: “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.”
Beryl’s son Ray Howard said in a statement: “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. We would like to thank all those who have supported us through this difficult time and ask for privacy as we continue to grieve and remember Beryl for the wonderful person she was.”
Beryl’s daughter Sharon Perry said her family were “heartbroken” by the loss of Beryl, who was “loved so very much”. She 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.”
Ron added: “McKinven’s blood results showed he was ‘on the limit’ for having cannabis in his system. Since cannabis is currently an illegal drug, we strongly believe any detection of illegal drugs following such a crime should be a factor in sentencing; this should be a sliding scale rather than an arbitrary cut-off point.
“If McKinven had even the tiniest amount more in his system, the Judge would have been free to pass a much longer sentence. Anyone who knowingly gets into a vehicle having consumed illegal drugs should be held fully accountable for their actions.”
Investigating officer Dai Nicholas commented: “This has been an extremely distressing case for Beryl’s family and our thoughts and sympathies are very much with them. 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.”