THE widow of a devoted father-of-four said her family was ‘utterly disgusted’ with the four-year sentence handed to his killer.

Terence Gaskin, 19,of Bright Street, Darwen, was sentenced on Friday for the manslaughter of Kenneth Turnbull after his mum shopped him to police.

But Mr Turnbull’s wife Anita, of Darwen, said the system had let her family down at the ‘final hurdle’.

She said: “Out of the four years he would serve two, and when you take into consideration the time Gaskin has spent on remand he will be out in public in about 18 months.

“Two years for the death of a hard working, fun-loving family man, who had done absolutely nothing wrong. Is that fair?

“We are all utterly disgusted and angry with the sentence, but no matter how long the sentence could have been, it will never ever compensate for our sad loss of Ken.

“As a family we understand what the judge had said and the reasons behind his sentence.

“We do appreciate the things he said and we felt sorry for him in that he had it give, in our opinion, a very lenient sentence.

“But saying that we feel that the system at the final hurdle has let us down.

“It is us, Ken’s family who have been given the life sentence - life without Ken.”

Gaskin, who had been drinking, launched an unprovoked attack on Mr Turnbull near to the White Lion Public House, The Green, Darwen, in the early hours of August 11.

He delivered a single punch to Mr Turnbull, 51, who was simply making his way back home after enjoying an Indian meal with a friend.

Gaskin’s attack left no mark on Mr Turnbull and police initially thought the kitchen fitter had died from natural causes.

But Gaskin confessed to his mum when he got home - and she shopped him to police.

The judge on Friday branded Gaskin a ‘coward’ and said he had used ‘inexcusable violence’.

Mrs Turnbull thanked the judge for his words but said the sentence was not a deterrent to others.

She said: “Things need to be changed. Judges should be allowed to give sentences so that the punishment fits the crime.”