Partner of pregnant mother killed by speeding driver welcomes sentence review

The partner of a pregnant mother-of-two killed by a speeding driver has welcomed a review into the defendant’s sentence.

Frankie Jules-Hough, 38, died in a crash on the M66 in Bury, Greater Manchester, in May, after Adil Iqbal, 22, lost control of his father’s BMW car.

Iqbal had filmed himself reaching speeds of 123mph in the vehicle before it crashed into Ms Jules-Hough’s Skoda Fabia, which had pulled over on the hard shoulder with a tyre puncture.

Ms Jules-Hough, 17 weeks pregnant with her first daughter, Neeve, suffered unsurvivable brain injuries. Her daughter died with her when she passed away two days later in hospital surrounded by her family, having never regained consciousness.

Iqbal was sentenced to 12 years in prison last month after admitting to causing death by dangerous driving, and was banned from driving for 14 years.

But Ms Jules-Hough’s partner, Calvin Buckley, said this decision would now be reviewed following an appeal.

Mr Buckley told the BBC: “I am happy that the appeal has been accepted.

“This is good news and hopefully the first step towards some form of justice for Frankie and Neeve.”

Ms Jules-Hough’s son, Thomas Spencer, nine, and nephew Tobias Welby, four, were also in the car during the incident.

Both children spent weeks in intensive care after being left in a coma with serious brain injuries from the crash.

Iqbal, from Accrington, Lancashire, admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving on his sentencing.

He had previously been convicted of driving without insurance in 2019, and had been given a police warning for racing on public roads two months before the crash.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said: “After careful consideration, the Solicitor General has referred this case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme as he agrees that it appears unduly lenient. It is now for the court to decide whether to increase the sentence.”