The family of Bethany Branson who was killed in a crash caused by a drunk van driver jumping a red light have paid a moving tribute to the 'beautiful and adored' 19-year-old rugby player.

Bethany’s parents have shared a tribute to their daughter after the driver Luke Hawkes, 28, of Wadham Close, Bridgwater, was jailed for 10 years for causing death by dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen.

Amy and Ben Branson released a joint statement after Hawkes was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court for the offences. They said: “Today (Friday 28 January), the criminal aspect of this devastating event has reached its conclusion.

“Heartbreakingly, no sentence length will change Bethany’s future or make our own future okay’ our beautiful and adored little lady will never walk back through our door and enrich our world, and we will continue to live with her loss for the rest of our lives.

“No sentence changes the fact that Bethany will never get to pursue her dreams nor will she get to live out her life as she should have been able to.

“This month, she was due to move into her first home – the start of the next chapter of her life – this has cruelly been taken from her.

“The impact of this has ripped our world apart, she only went out with her friend that night for a drive and to get some food and yet she never returned to us – we are beyond heartbroken and that is a heartbreak that we will carry with us for as long as we remain on this earth.

“Despite all of this unimaginable day-to-day heartbreak, we know that we were blessed. Everyone who had the pleasure of knowing our beautiful and wonderful little lady is blessed beyond belief at being a part of her life and by knowing such a larger-than-life character with the biggest of hearts.

“Bethany was kind, caring, big-hearted, determined, spirited, hilarious, compassionate and quietly would go about the world making it a better place.

“We have had hundreds of messages with people saying things like ‘I will never forget how she took me under her wing on my first rugby training’ or ‘when I joined the school, she was the first one to come and speak to me and made me feel included’ or ‘when I was at my lowest, she would make me laugh and cheer me up’.

“Devastatingly, our darling girl will never get to live her life, pursue her dreams, make a difference to many more people in the world and we are finding the foreverness of this horrific event incomprehensible.

“Our hearts and our heads however are full of so many wonderful memories that will be treasured forever – we were so lucky, so many chapters of love and happiness in those, almost 20 years.

“From our joint love of Christmas and the special days we spent with our family to the holidays, Legoland, Euro Disney, London to the Easter Egg Hunts, the games nights, the dog walks, the meals out, the theatre trips, the rugby matches, the laughter – how blessed are we to have so many amazing memories to draw upon in our saddest moments.

“We all continue to be beyond heartbroken; our lives won’t ever be the same and our world is so desperately sad right now. But, from day one, we have said we won’t let this define us. We will not dishonour her memory in letting this consume us. We will live our lives for her, with her, she is here and will be forever.

“She will no longer be a part of so many chapters of our life but how blessed have we all been to have her in so many of the chapters that have come before this moment.

“Our family saying for so many years was stolen from The Lego Movie, and our motto is ‘everything is awesome when you’re part of a team’. Our little team has got smaller now but we are still a team and we will honour her memory for as long as we are on this earth.

“Bethany Charlotte Branson was a legend, our legend, our first born, our daughter, our sister, our granddaughter, our niece, our cousin, our goddaughter, our friend – we will love her forever and we will not let this define us. She has given us the strength to be strong and live in her name.”

Luke Hawkes, of Wadham Close, Bridgwater, was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court on Friday, January 27, after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen.

Hawkes’ sentence is among the first to take place under new sentencing guidelines which allows judges to give tougher sentences for dangerous and careless driving deaths, moving the maximum term from 14 years to life imprisonment for dangerous driving.

Hawkes was handed the sentence after killing 19-year-old Bethany Branson on Tuesday 8 November last year. He has also been handed a driving disqualification for 12 years and seven months.

An account of the incident released by Avon and Somerset Police says he had been driving a white Ford Transit van at high speed down the A38 Taunton Road when he drove through a red light and collided with two cars which had the right-of-way at a junction.

Bethany had been the passenger in the first car Hawkes collided with. She was sadly pronounced dead at the scene, the statement adds. The court heard how Hawkes had shown no remorse for his actions, refusing to complete a breathalyser or swab test for drugs and alcohol at the roadside.

He was recorded on body warn video saying: “I hope I killed someone. Oh well, you know what, I will get three, four, five years. Hopefully I killed them.”

Hawkes had previously been involved in a minor road traffic collision further up the A38 Taunton Road, near the Showground Roundabout, prior to the collision which killed Bethany. He then left the scene towards Bridgwater, where he was then involved in the fatal collision.

A further three people, including Hawkes, sustained minor injuries. 19-year-old Bethany has been remembered as a ‘beautiful’ young lady.

Senior investigating officer, Andrew Roebuck, and family liaison officer, Martin Farnell, said in a joint statement: “The family have shown exceptional courage and bravery in speaking so openly about Bethany, who is very clearly loved and cherished by all those who knew her.

“Bethany was a bubbly and outgoing young lady who had her entire life ahead of her, who dreamed of a career with animals and had a passion for rugby.

“We hope that this significant sentence for Hawkes gives the family some closure following the devastating loss of their daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, goddaughter and friend.”

His Honour Judge Paul Cook told Hawkes at the court hearing: “You can tell this was a prolonged, consistent and deliberate course of driving. it was obvious that you were drunk as I have seen the state of your intoxication on a number of videos.

“It was very clear that Bethany was a bubbly and infectious person, destined for a life of giving which has shattered the hearts of the family.

“You created a sea of carnage and then left. You were then heard saying ‘I’m glad she is dead, she deserved it’ and ‘Hopefully [you] killed someone’.”