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A Kapiti Coast grandmother, whose drunk driving caused the death of a cyclist, was sentenced to two years and two months in prison when she appeared in Palmerston North District Court on Wednesday.
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.
Judge Les Atkins also disqualified her from driving for eight years and ordered her to pay reparation of $30,000 to van Kampen's family.
A police prosecutor told the Levin District Court that Downer had crossed the centre line several times and veered back, before hitting van Kampen from behind as he cycled along the cycleway.
She was driving at almost twice the legal alcohol limit, after drinking a considerable amount of wine at home.
Her lawyer told the court that she was an alcoholic, who has been in residential care for treatment.
Van Kampen's partner, Jude Pauwels, was surrounded by a group of supporters to hear the sentencing in court.
Pauwels says she will never forgive Downer for what she did and spoke of her family's anguish through a victim impact statement which was read out in court.
"He was brought back to me in a coffin. He was battered and bruised and broken... It wasn't my Frank I saw lying there... he was cold, still and dead."
Pauwels told the court she does not want to accept any money from Downer. But Judge Atkins said the reparation can be put into an account for her two children.
Van Kampen's daughter, Alexandra, was 10 weeks old when he was killed.
Pauwels also has a 13-year-old son, Dante, whose father had previously died.
Friend and former colleague Ron Chatters witnessed the accident that killed van Kampen and says the sentence is too light.
He says he does not accept Downer is genuinely remorseful about what happened that day.
Downer has had three previous drink driving convictions.
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