A "DANGEROUSLY intoxicated" man who ran over a Hampshire mother-of-two then drove for a mile with her trapped under his car is today behind bars.

Paul Sparks, 26, had spent nine hours drinking in pubs with friends in Crewkerne, Somerset, on Boxing Day last year, Taunton Crown Court was told.

He staggered into a takeaway and then got into his Vauxhall Cavalier to drive to a friend's house in Chard.

But he ran over Carolyn Boylan from Hardy Road, Eastleigh, who was lying in the road after being involved in a minor accident. Sparks was oblivious to the incident and travelled for a mile before Miss Boylan fell on to the road.

Miss Boylan, 28, died of multiple injuries the next day at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. Sparks, of Whipton, Exeter, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for seven years.

The court was told that Miss Boylan had been visiting a friend, Daniel Martin, in Crewkerne but had had an argument with him.

She stepped out of his home into West Street and was involved in a separate accident with another car, leaving her laying face down in the road.

The driver went to get help and call police but then saw Sparks's car being driven at speed towards the woman. At least five people shouted and waved at Sparks to warn him.

He drove over what he thought was a red bin bag but was in fact Miss Boylan, who was wearing a red top. Eyewitness David Blunn said in a statement read in court: "There was an almighty thud and the front of the car rose in the air."

Mr Blunn drove after the car to get the registration number and found Miss Boylan lying in the road.

Friends had reported seeing Sparks becoming increasingly drunk that afternoon.

Prosecuting, Ian Dixey said CCTV footage showed he was clearly staggering. The next day Sparks told a friend: "I'm scared. I don't know what I've done," when he read on Teletext about Miss Boylan's death.

It was accepted that Sparks was not aware of hitting Miss Boylan or dragging her beneath his car, because of his level of intoxication.

Sparks, a father-of-one, had been fined and disqualified from driving for 12 months in 1996 for drink-driving. Defending, Alan Large said: "This was a tragic and dreadful offence."

Sentencing Sparks, Recorder Martin Picton said: "Had you been sober you could not have failed to see the people trying to warn of the presence of Carolyn Boylan in the road.

A neighbour of Carolyn's, Graham Jarrett, said: "Seven years is not long enough for taking someone's life and leaving two children motherless."