Jack Tweed, the widower of reality television star Jade Goody, was last night considering an appeal after being jailed for assaulting a taxi driver.

The 21-year-old, of Buckhurst Hill, Essex, was sentenced to 12 weeks in custody after attacking Stephen Wilkins following a night out in Epping, Essex in May last year.

Magistrates in Harlow, Essex, told Tweed that they would have passed a longer sentence had it not been for his "change in personal circumstances".

Mother-of-two Goody, who married Tweed in February, died last month following a battle with cancer.

After yesterday's hearing, Tweed's solicitor George Kampanella said the family felt the sentence was too harsh. "The family are devastated and feel that Jack has been treated more severely because of who he is," he said. "We are considering the prospects of an appeal."

Tweed, who was ordered to pay £455 costs and £200 compensation to Mr Wilkins, was told he would serve half of his sentence in jail.

Margaret Webb, magistrates chairwoman, said: "We have borne in mind the recent change in your personal circumstances and have reflected this in the length of the sentence, which would otherwise have been 18 weeks."

The court heard Tweed attacked Mr Wilkins while on bail for another assault, on a 16-year-old boy in December 2006.

Tweed was jailed for 18 months in September last year after hitting the teenager with a golf club in Ongar, Essex. He had denied the assault.

His lawyer, Tania Panagiotopoulou, told the court that Tweed, who was ordered to wear a tag following his release from prison in January, was now a "changed man".

She said he had been forced to "mature very quickly" coping with the illness and subsequent death of Goody.

"To say that he is a changed man since May 2008 is perhaps an understatement," said Ms Panagiotopoulou. "He has endured, with dignity and maturity, very difficult personal circumstances that have been well-documented."

Mr Wilkins told the hearing that he picked up Tweed, another man and two women in Epping in the early hours of May 5.

He said Tweed became aggressive after being asked to pay the fare in advance.

Mr Wilkins said Tweed, who was sitting behind him, grabbed him in a headlock and threatened to stab him.

Tweed said he had no memory of the taxi journey after a day and night of heavy drinking.