‘Dangerous and reckless’ driver who killed pregnant ex-Hollyoaks star Frankie Jules-Hough in 123mph M66 crash jailed for 12 years
A driver who killed a pregnant actress and her unborn baby and left two children in a coma has been jailed for 12 years.
Adil Iqbal had been driving with one hand on the wheel holding a phone with his other to record himself, while clocking speeds of 123mph on the M66 motorway in Greater Manchester in May.
Mum-of-two Frankie Jules-Hough had stopped on the hard shoulder due to a tyre puncture with her two sons and nephew in the car.
Iqbal, 22, was veering through traffic, tailgating and undertaking other vehicles before his BMW 140i swerved, hit a crash barrier and eventually smashed into Ms Jules-Hough’s Skoda Fabia at an estimated 92mph.
Former Hollyoaks star Ms Jules-Hough, who was making a call, then uttered a “blood-curdling scream”, a Manchester court heard.
Frankie Jules-Hough was killed along with her unborn daughter
The 38-year-old was 17 weeks pregnant with her first daughter Neeve and sustained unsurvivable brain injuries.
The former Hollyoaks actress died two days later having never regained consciousness, as did her daughter.
Her nine-year-old son, Thomas Spencer, and young nephew Tobias Welby were left in a coma suffering serious brain injuries and their long-term outcomes remain uncertain, the court heard.
Both spent weeks in intensive care after the crash.
Her two-year-old son suffered minor injuries.
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Relatives of Ms Jules-Hough watched dashcam footage and video from Iqbal’s phone as it was presented to the court before he was sentenced.
Iqbal from Accrington, Lancashire had managed to free himself from his car before people tried to help the trapped family until emergency services arrived.
He admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one count of causing death by dangerous driving of Ms Jules-Hough.
‘Devastation of a family’
Sentencing him, Judge Maurice Greene said: “She was killed as a result of the most indescribable reckless driving by you Adil Iqbal, leading to the devastation of a family.”
Detective Constable Richie Hughes said: “I truly hope that the sentencing of Adil Iqbal who is a dangerous and reckless individual – brings her family and loved ones some form of closure.
“Iqbal’s actions that day were nothing short of appalling. He knowingly and willingly chose to drive his car at those speeds with little regard for other drivers on the motorway at the time.”
Actors from Hollyoaks had paid tributes to Ms Jules-Hough, who played the character Jess Holt in the Channel 4 soap in 2000 and 2001.
She had also appeared in Merseybeat, Heartbeat, Where The Heart Is and Wire In The Blood.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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