Driver killed couple when he swerved into traffic

Both Ian Gale and his wife Gail died at the scene of the crash

A driver may have been distracted or lost concentration when he swerved into oncoming traffic and hit a car head-on, killing the occupants.

Simarjeet Singh, who did not have a full driving licence, was on the A47, near Belton, Rutland, on 18 November 2022, when he crashed.

He crashed into a Hyundai i10 being driven by Gail Gale, 58, with her husband Ian, 64, sitting in the passenger seat. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Singh, 35, was found guilty of six offences in relation to the crash, including two counts of causing death by careless driving, and on Friday was sentenced to four years in prison.

Mrs Gale's daughter said her mother would never get to meet her granddaughter who was born shortly after the crash

After the sentencing, Mrs Gale's daughter Emma Johnson said she was told about her mother's death shortly before she was due to give birth.

The 34-year-old said: "When I found out about mum's death I was shocked and stressed.

"I was due to give birth imminently, and the stress could potentially have been detrimental to my baby's health.

"Imagine then having to identify your parents' bodies hours after giving birth to your child - mum's grandchild - the grandchild she would never meet.

"That is what I had to do.

"Knowing mum won't get the chance to see her youngest grandchild or have a relationship with my four children is heartbreaking.

"She will miss out on having this relationship through no fault of her own. It is absolutely devastating to me."

Police said Singh's actions had a "devastating" impact

Singh was also convicted of driving without insurance and two counts of causing death while driving an unlicensed vehicle.

An investigation found the swerve carried out by Singh was "indicative of being due to loss of concentration or distraction of the driver".

He claimed there had been either a stone or animal in the road, but no evidence of this was found, said police.

The sentencing hearing was told Singh, of Dishley Road, Leicester, had been stopped by police in Leicester three months before and given a fixed penalty notice for driving alone on a provisional licence.

Judge Ebraham Mooncey said Singh's actions had "immense consequences" for the bereaved relatives.

He was also disqualified from getting a licence for four years.

Det Con Anna Andrew, from Leicestershire Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "This has been a heartbreaking incident to investigate.

"The actions of Singh show the devastating impact that careless driving and driving without a licence or insurance can have.

"There is no excuse or any reason to ever do this. It is putting lives, including your own, at risk."