THE sister of a 36-year-old county Royal Marine who died after a street assault has attacked the "disgraceful" five-year sentence meted out to his killer.

Father-of-one Cpl Kevin Weaver died from head injuries in March this year after being attacked on a fancy dress evening with friends in Plymouth city centre.

Yesterday, Francis Fletcher, a 25-year-old from Devon, who had previously admitted the manslaughter of Droitwich-born Mr Weaver, was given a life sentence.

But the judge ordered it should be a minimum of half of a five-year sentence.

"It's disgraceful," said the dead man's sister, Teresa Gwilliam, who attended the sentencing at Plymouth Crown Court with other family members. "We were expecting him to be given more.

"We've been told that, in manslaughter cases, it's a normal length of sentence, but he will probably be out in two years."

Cpl Weaver's widow Dawn, who also attended court, described the sentence as "a big joke".

"I don't know how I've coped. The court case has not made it any easier. We did it for Kevin and he would have been proud of us. We love him and miss him very much."

Three other men, all from Devon, were given three-year-sentences each after admitting violent disorder, during the fracas on Thursday, March 2. Cpl Weaver died a week later in hospital.