Driver who killed pregnant mum in M66 crash has sentence increased

Frankie Jules-Hough was in the car with her two sons and a nephew

A driver who killed a pregnant mother-of-two after speeding on a motorway has had his sentence increased on the day she was due to give birth.

Adil Iqbal was jailed for 12 years for causing the death of Frankie Jules-Hough by dangerous driving on the M66 in Bury on 13 May.

Court of Appeal judges said that term was unduly lenient and increased Iqbal's sentence to 15 years.

Ms Jules-Hough's partner Calvin Buckley said it was "a bitter pill to swallow".

"Today should have been the proudest and happiest day of my life [and] I should be celebrating becoming a father for the first time," he said.

"Instead, I am in court fighting for their justice."

Delivering the ruling by himself, Mr Justice Murray and His Honour Judge Anthony Leonard, Lord Justice Bean told the court it had been "the worst case of bad driving any of us can recall".

"We find it hard to imagine a worse case of bad driving than this one," he added.

'Opportunity missed'

Iqbal's original sentencing hearing in July was told Ms Jules-Hough, 38, had pulled her Skoda Fabia on to the hard shoulder with a puncture when Iqbal undertook a motorbike in a BMW on the motorway.

The 22-year-old, from Accrington in Lancashire, swerved, over-compensated and hit a barrier, before spinning and ploughing into Ms Jules-Hough's car at an estimated 92mph.

The mother-of-two had been 17 weeks pregnant with her first daughter, who had already been given the name Neeve.

Ms Jules-Hough suffered brain injuries and died, along with her unborn child, in hospital two days later.

Her nine-year-old son and four-year-old nephew, who were in the car along with her other son, were left in a coma with serious brain injuries.

The long-term outcomes of their injuries remain uncertain, the hearing in July was told.

The court heard before the crash, Iqbal had been driving his father's BMW with one hand and holding his phone with the other as he filmed himself driving at 123mph, tailgating and undertaking other vehicles.

Adil Iqbal was told his original term was unduly lenient

In 2022, judges were given the power to hand down greater sentences to those convicted of death by dangerous driving.

Previously, the maximum tariff was 14 years, but it was increased to life imprisonment.

Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson, who referred the case to the court under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, said he was pleased the "severity" of Iqbal's crimes had been "recognised".

He added that he hoped the increased sentence would send "a stark warning to people who think it is acceptable to drive at high speeds and put the lives of others in jeopardy" that they would be "punished to the fullest extent of the law".

Mr Buckley said the judgement, which came on the due date of their unborn daughter Neeve, was "not what we were hoping for".

"What more does somebody have to do to get a life sentence for causing death by dangerous driving?" he said.

He said "no number of years" could compensate for his family's loss, adding: "We were all given a life sentence that day."

"I am disappointed that another opportunity has been missed to try and clamp down on the growing issues of dangerous driver and lawlessness on Britain's roads," he said.

"My future, my world, my peace was crushed by the needless and senseless actions of a selfish individual."

He said he would now "focus on the education of young people".

"The earlier we can teach not just about road safety, but courtesy and respect for each other on the roads, the better," he added.