Helen Farr said someone should have gone to prison over the death

The supermarket giant admitted health and safety breaches over the 2002 death of Kenneth Farr, 37, from Penarth.

The unsecured barrier smashed his windscreen at the Cardiff Bay store.

Widow Helen Farr said the "penalty does not fit the crime" and solicitor Mick Antoniw said judges will soon be able to give tougher penalties.

Mr Antoniw said under the Corporate Manslaughter Act which comes into force in April, "there would have been a different charge, and potentially a different fine, because the guidelines consultation for sentencing at the moment is fines looking at a minimum of two-and-half to 10% of turnover.

"The problem is that law is not adequate for deaths in these circumstances and the current level of fines... is acknowledged by everyone as being pitifully low and in April this year that should all change," said the solicitor, who represented Mrs Farr in a previous hearing.

The youngest of Kenneth Farr's three daughters was in the car

Mr Farr, an electronics engineer, had gone to buy a garden shed in May 2002 when he was hit on the head after the swing barrier was blown into the path of his car as he drove into the store.

Newport Crown Court heard there had been two previous accidents in which a swing barrier and another barrier had hit vehicles as they had gone into to car parks.

The hearing was told that while Asda had known about it, and had put in place safety regulations, the staff on the ground had not made sure these barriers were secured properly.

The company, which has now removed all swing barriers from its stores, apologised unreservedly to his widow and her three daughters Emma, 12, Jessica, nine, who was in the back of the car when her father was fatally injured, and Hannah, seven.

Asda admitted two safety charge breaches over Kenneth Farr's death

But speaking outside court Mrs Farr said a fine was not enough for her husband's death.

She said: "My life has changed forever. I was widowed at a young age. No amount of fines will ever bring my husband back."

Mrs Farr said she did not believe the punishment sent out the right message to the public and said she would like to see the law changed in similar cases so that a more severe punishment could be imposed.

"The verdict the inquest jury (in 2006) reached was unlawful killing, so someone should have gone to prison without a shadow of a doubt," she said.