A MOTORIST who killed a grandfather when speeding to visit his bride-to-be in Bromyard has been jailed for four years and banned from driving for life.

Terence Reese overtook a van by crossing double white lines on the A44 Worcester to Bromyard road and then lost control of his car, smashing head-on into a Reliant Robin being driven by 64-year-old Mervyn Walker.

After his conviction by a jury in March for causing death by dangerous driving, it was revealed that Reese, of Bath Road, Worcester, had been released early from a life sentence for an horrific attack on a former lover.

Judge Andrew Geddes told him when he appeared for sentencing at Worcester Crown Court this week: "It is quite clear you were driving far too fast for the conditions."

He accepted that Reese was remorseful but said the crash was worse to bear for the victim's family.

Reese, a 58-year-old furniture repairer, was on his way to see his fiancee in Bromyard, on December 13, 2001, when the crash happened near Crown East, at 7am.

His Volvo overtook the van, then veered on to the wrong side of the road and caused the Reliant to explode into pieces.

Mr Walker, a father of five, of The Acreage, Whitbourne, was on his way to work at Joy Mining in Worcester and was only a month off retirement.

Reese's driving licence had been suspended due to three strokes but was returned after a medical 15 months before the tragedy.

He had a record of 18 previous convictions and, in 1991, a court heard how Reese clubbed his lover five times on the head with a wooden mallet after she wanted to leave him.

She suffered multiple skull fractures and fell into a coma but recovered. She was left with permanent health problems.

Reese was given life for causing grievous bodily harm.

In 1965 he was detained under the mental health acts for attempting to choke another woman.

David Munro, defending, said that his client's recollection of the crash was poor. He had to be airlifted to hospital after being cut out of his car with serious leg injuries.

He had not driven since the accident and had already vowed never to get behind the wheel again.

Mr Munro said there was no evidence of racing or deliberate disregard for human life. He did not pose a risk to the public in the future.