A MAN who ran over a Hampshire mother of two - then drove for a mile with her trapped under his car - is to appeal to London's High Court in a bid to cut his seven year sentence for causing death by dangerous driving.

Today, the distraught family of Carolyn Boylan from Eastleigh have condemned the forthcoming appeal by Paul Sparks, 26, who was jailed last month for the offence.

Miss Boylan, 28, of Hardy Road in Eastleigh was killed on Boxing Day last year. During the court hearing last month, it was revealed Sparks had spent nine hours drinking in pubs with friends in Crewkerne in Somerset before the tragedy.

Taunton Crown Court was told he staggered into a takeaway and then got into his Vauxhall Cavalier to drive to a friends house in Chard. But he ran over Miss Boylan 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.

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

Miss Boylan's sister, Denise Gowing, 30, of Westfield Road in Chandler's Ford said Somerset Police had broken the news of Spark's intention to appeal as she was visiting her and Carolyn's father on Father's Day on Sunday.

She had just returned from a holiday with Carolyn's two children, eight-year-old Carley, and Luke, ten, as well as her other sister to help the family and the children get over the tragedy.

She said: "A police officer phoned my mum and said that he was appealing. I was so furious. It was bad enough first time around but now this."

She said the close-knit family had attended the court hearing when Sparks was jailed and her parents and surviving sister were still struggling to come to terms with Carolyn's tragic death.

The children are now living with Carolyn's ex-husband.

She added: "It was a big shock to the children. I don't know how they are coping. You just don't know how a child copes.

"I would have liked to have got him tried for manslaughter. We were pleased he got the maximum sentence. I don't know how he can justify appealing. I don't think we can cope with much more of this. We were a very close family. We used to see Carolyn every day and now she is not there. Sparks does not realise what he has done."

During the court hearing in May, it was revealed that Sparks had been fined and disqualified from driving for 12 months in 1996 for drink-driving. It was accepted that Sparks was not aware of hitting Miss Boylan or dragging her beneath his car because of his level of intoxication.