Taxi driver Noel Bascome sobbed in Supreme Court yesterday as he was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for causing the death of a passenger by driving while impaired.

The father of four cried as he told Assistant Justice Philip Storr that he was sorry for killing 71-year old Aileen Belboda and repeatedly said: "I can't believe I'm 44-years-old and I'm going to go to prison.'' Bascome was found guilty on Friday of causing Mrs. Belboda's death on December 28, 1998, when he crashed his cab into a wall on Middle Road in Warwick as he drove the Belboda couple from the King Edward Memorial Hospital to their home at Khyber Pass.

Mrs. Belboda died of severe head injuries on January 3, 1999.

Her husband Roland told Bascome immediately after the outcome that he had forgiven him but later told reporters he thought a more lengthy sentence would have been more appropriate.

"Justice has been served,'' he said, "but I thought he would have had a much higher sentence, around seven years.'' The sentiment was echoed by Mr. Belboda's daughter-in-law Karen and his son Gordon who each said they had hoped for at least a seven year sentence.

"It is something that should never have happened,'' Ms Belboda said. "The past years have not been easy at all, not at all, and my father-in-law has been through a lot.'' "It could happen to anybody,'' added Mr. Belboda, "but we really need for people to be aware that this can happen with a taxi driver.

"Many people go out drinking and take taxis to be safe,'' he continued, "but you may not be any safer taking one.

"A lot of people are drinking and partying around Christmas, and this happened two days after, so you can imagine how bad I felt.'' Mr. Justice Storr sentenced Bascome to four years in prison for causing death by impaired driving and disqualified him from driving all vehicles for five years.

And for a second charge of refusing to take the alcho-analyser test, Bascome was handed a consecutive three month jail term and a concurrent one year disqualification from all vehicles.

Bascome told the court: "The last 18 months, I've been living with this thing in my head. I'd like to apologise to the Belboda family and let them know this is not in my character.'' Taxi driver jailed Bascome also apologised to his family and noted that he had been able to stay "on the right side of the law'' until "all of a sudden, this tragedy happened''.

The law used to convict Bascome was enacted in January, 1998, and the case marked the first time it was used.

Assistant Justice Storr, in passing sentence, labelled Bascome's actions as reprehensible.

"You were the driver of a public service vehicle and people entrust their lives to you to keep them safe,'' he said.

"You are mature in years and you must know after all your years of experience of driving, how society views those who drive while impaired.''