A Kapiti Coast grandmother, whose drunk driving caused the death of a cyclist, showed no emotion when she was jailed for two years and two months today.
Alison Mary Downer, 71, had earlier admitted causing the death of father-of-two Frank van Kampen on State Highway 1 north of Waikanae last September.
In Palmerston North District Court today, Judge Les Atkins also disqualified her from driving for eight years and ordered her to pay reparation of $30,000 to Mr van Kampen's family.
Mr van Kampen's partner, Jude Pauwels, had told the court she did not want to accept any money from Downer. But Judge Atkins said the reparatin could be put into an account for her two children.
Mr van Kampen's daughter Alexandra was 10 weeks old when he was killed. Ms Pauwels also has a 13-year-old son Dante whose father had previously died.
Dante was with Ms Pauwels and a group of supporters in court today.
A police prosecutor told Levin District Court in November that Downer had several times crossed the centre line and veered back, before hitting Mr van Kampen from behind as he cycled along the cycleway.
Downer had three previous drink driving convictions.http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/3290328/Drunk-grandma-jailed-for-m...