A delivery driver from Wembley who hit and killed an elderly mother-of-four while reversing his van has been jailed for three years.

Derek Roy Hansel, 48, of Northchurch Road, was driving at the junction of North Church Road and Tokyngton Avenue, Wembley, when he failed to use his rear facing camera resulting in him running over 79-year-old Deviben Patel in September 2012.

Last Thursday at Harrow Crown Court, he was jailed and disqualified from driving for three years with an extended re-test after he was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

Following his sentencing, Mrs Patel devastated son Kantilal Gosai Patel issued a statement paying tribute to his mother who was affectionately known as ‘Ba’.

He said: “Ba was a very kind and supportive lady; she did not judge people and welcomed everyone into her life.

“If any of her family were ill or hurt, Ba would be the first person to visit them, to understand what was wrong and also to support them to get better.

“Ba was very hands-on and was not afraid to pick up a paint brush or pull out weeds in the gardens when needed and was also a wise and knowledgeable woman.

“Ba was an amazing woman, who played an integral part on the life of not just her family, but everyone around her.

Her life was ended tragically in an unexpected way doing a journey she had done every week for years, again to see and help her friend, no one expected the day to end the way it did, the accident was avoidable but ended taking her life prematurely.

“Her funeral was attended by family and friends from all over the world, a testament to her standing in our family and the local community, she was loved by many and will be missed by us all.”

Detective Sergeant Jane Mallet from the Met’s Road Death Investigation Unit, said: “This is a tragic case and highlights the need for van drivers and drivers of other vehicles with restricted views to ensure they take maximum care when reversing.

“Mr Hansel had a rear facing camera available to him but did not use this safety feature. If he had then this tragedy would have been avoided.”