Diane’s husband was killed by a reckless driver – the wait for justice was almost as painful

Published

4 days ago

August 7, 2025

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Diane Gall’s husband, Martyn, had been out on a morning bike ride with his friends on their usual route one winter morning in November 2020 – when he was killed by a reckless driver.

Diane and her daughters had to wait almost three years for her husband’s case to be heard in court.

The case was postponed three times, often without warning.

“You just honestly lose faith in the system,” she says.

“You feel there’s a system there that should be there to help and protect victims, to be victims’ voices, but the constant delays really take their toll on individuals and us as a family.”

The first trial date in April 2022 was cancelled on the day and pushed four months later.

The day before the new date, the family were told it wasn’t going ahead due to the barristers’ strike.

It was moved to November 2022, then postponed again, before eventually being heard in June the following year.

“You’re building yourself up for all these dates, preparing yourself for what you’re going to hear, reliving everything that has happened, and it’s retraumatising,” says Diane.

‘Radical’ reform needed

Diane’s wait for justice gives us an insight into what thousands of victims and their families are battling every day in a court system cracking under the weight of a record-high backlog.

There are 76,957 cases waiting to be heard in Crown Courts across England and Wales, as of the end of March 2025.

To relieve pressure on the system, an independent review by Sir Brian Leveson last month made a number of recommendations – including creating a new division of the Crown Court known as an intermediate court, made up of a judge and two magistrates, and allowing defendants to choose to be tried by judge alone.

He said only “radical” reform would have an impact.

But according to exclusive data collected for Sky News by the Law Society, there is strong scepticism among the industry about some proposed plans.

Before the review was published, we asked 545 criminal lawyers about the idea of a new tier to the Crown Court – 60% of them told us a type of Intermediate Court was unlikely to reduce the backlog.

“It’s moving a problem from one place to another, like moving the deck chairs on the Titanic. It’s not going to do anything,” says Stuart Nolan, chair of the Law Society’s criminal law committee.

“I think the problem with it is lack of resources or lack of will to give the proper resources.

“You can say we need more staff, but they’re not just any staff, they are people with experience and training, and that doesn’t come quickly or cheap.”

Instead, the lawyers told us creating an additional court would harm the quality of justice.

Chloe Jay, senior partner at Shentons Solicitors, agrees the quality of justice will be impacted by a new court division that could sit without a jury for some offences.

She says: “The beauty of the Crown Court is that you have two separate bodies, one deciding the facts and one deciding law.

“So the jury doesn’t hear the legal arguments about what evidence should be excluded, whether something should be considered as part of the trial, and that’s what really gives you that really good, sound quality of justice, because you haven’t got one person making all the decisions together.

“Potentially in an intermediate court, that is what will happen. The same three people will hear those legal arguments and make the finding of guilt or innocence.”

The most striking finding from the survey is that 73% of criminal lawyers surveyed are worried about offences no longer sitting in front of a jury.

Casey Jenkins, president of London Criminal Court Solicitors’ Association, says this could create unconscious bias.

“There’s a real risk that people from minority backgrounds are negatively impacted by having a trial by a judge and not a jury of their peers who may have the same or similar social background to them,” she says.

“A jury trial is protection against professional judicial decisions by the state. It’s a fundamental right that can be invoked.”

Instead of moving some offences to a new Crown Court tier, our survey suggests criminal lawyers would be more in favour of moving cases to the magistrates instead.

Under the Leveson proposals, trials for offences such as dangerous driving, possessing an offensive weapon and theft could be moved out of the Crown Courts.

‘Catastrophic consequences’

Richard Atkinson, president of the Law Society, says fixing the system will only work with fair funding.

“It’s as important as the NHS, it’s as important as the education system,” he says. “If it crumbles, there will be catastrophic consequences.”

Ms Jenkins agrees that for too long the system has been allowed to fail.

“Everyone deserves justice, this is just not the answer,” she says.

“It’s just the wrong solution to a problem that was caused by chronic, long-term under-investment in the criminal justice system, which is a vital public service.

“The only way to ensure that there’s timely and fair justice for everybody is to invest in all parts of the system from the bottom up: local services, probation, restorative justice, more funding for lawyers so we can give early advice, more funding for the police so that cases are better prepared.”

Government vows ‘bold and ambitious reform’

In response to Sky News’ findings, the minister for courts and legal services, Sarah Sackman KC MP, told Sky News: “We inherited a record and rising court backlog, leaving many victims facing unacceptable delays to see justice done.

“We’ve already boosted funding in our courts system, but the only way out of this crisis is bold and ambitious reform. That is why we are carefully considering Sir Brian’s bold recommendations for long-term change.

“I won’t hesitate to do whatever needs to be done for the benefit of victims.”

The driver that killed Diane’s husband was eventually convicted. She wants those making decisions about the court system to remember those impacted the most in every case.

Every victim and every family.

“You do just feel like a cog in a big wheel that’s out of your control,” she says. “Because you know justice delayed is justice denied.”

UK

Minister defends proposals to ban over 70s from driving if they fail new compulsory eye tests

Published

2 hours ago

August 11, 2025

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Minister defends proposals to ban over 70s from driving if they fail new compulsory eye tests

Wes Streeting has defended plans to make over 70s take compulsory eye tests every three years – which could see them banned from driving if they fail, it is understood.

Ministers are considering “tougher” measures to tackle road deaths and injuries in England and Wales, which they believe have “remained stubbornly high under successive Conservative governments”.

Under the new proposals, first reported by The Times, the drink-drive limit would be lowered to match the current rules in Scotland.

Currently, the drink-drive limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath in England and Wales, or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

But this is expected to be lowered to 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath or 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, to match the stricter levels already enforced in Scotland.

Those caught not wearing a seatbelt could also receive penalty points for the first time, while drivers found on the road without insurance could also face more severe consequences.

As well as this, plans are currently being drawn up to make those aged 70 or over take a compulsory eye test every three years when they renew their driving licence.

Those who fail this would lose their right to drive under the proposals. It’s understood that tests for other conditions, such as dementia, are also being considered.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Streeting said the transport secretary is consulting and “considering a whole range of proposals”, which will be unveiled in the “not too distant future”.

It is understood that Heidi Alexander will unveil the measures in a new road safety strategy in the autumn.

The health secretary also defended the plans around elderly drivers.

He told broadcasters: “It cannot be right that we’ve ended up in a situation where the NHS is hit with a £2 billion a year bill because we are not taking road safety seriously enough – particularly as we get older and the quality of our eye health deteriorates, that we’re not keeping a regular check.”

A Labour source said: “At the end of the last Labour government, the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads was at a record low, but numbers have remained stubbornly high under successive Conservative governments.

“In no other circumstance would we accept 1,600 people dying, with thousands more seriously injured, costing the NHS more than £2bn per year.

“This Labour government will deliver the first Road Safety Strategy in a decade, imposing tougher penalties on those breaking the law, protecting road users and restoring order to our roads.”

It comes after 1,633 people died in road traffic accidents in 2024, with nearly 28,000 victims seriously injured.

UK

UK weather: Amber heat health alert issued for large parts of England

Published

4 hours ago

August 11, 2025

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UK weather: Amber heat health alert issued for large parts of England

An amber heat health alert has been issued for large parts of England.

The amber alert – described as an “enhanced hot weather response” – covers East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, and the South East.

The alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), is due to be in place from 9am on Tuesday, until 6pm on Wednesday.

Explainer: What is a heat-health alert?

The UKHSA, a government agency for England, warned “significant impacts are likely” across health and social care services due to the high temperatures.

Parts of the country are facing a fourth heatwave of the summer, where highs pass a threshold on three consecutive days.

A yellow alert, also between 9am on Tuesday until 6pm on Wednesday, covers the North East, North West, Yorkshire, The Humber, and the South West.

Check the weather forecast where you are

Dr Paul Coleman, consultant in public health at UKHSA, said temperatures are forecast to rise above 30C (86F) across some areas which “can result in serious health outcomes” particularly for the elderly or those with serious health conditions.

“If you have friends, family or neighbours who are vulnerable, it is important to ensure they are aware of the forecasts and are following the necessary advice.

“Check in on them if you can to make sure they know that hot weather is on the way and how to keep themselves safe,” Dr Coleman said.

Sky News meteorologist Christopher England said the high pressure that brought the warmth of the last few days via the “heat dome” effect is moving east, as low pressure moves in towards the west.

“On Tuesday, southern Britain can expect temperatures widely into the low 30s… perhaps exceeding 35C (95F) in places,” he said.

On 1 July, the UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far with a temperature of 34.7C (94.4F) recorded at St James’s Park in central London.

The Met Office’s criteria for a heatwave are met when temperatures are above a certain level for three consecutive days. This threshold varies from 25C to 28C (77F to 82F) depending on the location.

Mr England added: “There’s around a 10% chance Wales may exceed its August peak temperature of 35.2C (95.3F) recorded at Hawarden on 2 August 1990.

“Expect some tropical nights too, with temperatures holding above 20C (68F).”

In July, the Met Office warned Britain’s climate is changing rapidly, with records regularly being smashed and extremes of heat and rainfall becoming the norm.

The UKHSA has issued advice for keeping cool:
• close windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun
• seek shade and cover up outside
• use sunscreen, wear a hat and sunglasses
• keep out of the sun at the hottest times, between 11am and 3pm
• restrict physical activity to the cooler mornings or evenings
• know how to respond to heat exhaustion and heatstroke

UK

Dozens evacuated after burst water main floods streets in north London

Published

4 hours ago

August 11, 2025

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Dozens evacuated after burst water main floods streets in north London

Around 30 residents have been evacuated from their homes in north London after a water main burst, leaving roads under 44cm (17in) of water.

Seventy firefighters were dispatched by London Fire Brigade to the area around Canonbury Street in Islington just after 10pm on Sunday.

People have been urged to avoid the area including Essex Road, Elmore Street, Halliford Street and Ecclesbourne Road – and warned against driving through floodwater.

Fire crews used flood barriers and sandbags to divert floodwater away from homes as they warned disruption was likely to continue into Monday afternoon.

Islington council also warned at 9am on Monday that Canonbury Street was closed from Essex Road up to Arran Walk.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We have now managed to stop the flow of water and ensure that the site is safe. We have also been able to move parked cars which were over another critical water main.

“We have a specialist team on site for those impacted by the incident, at Cedar Place on Essex Road, and are supporting customers who have been affected.

“To keep the public and our team safe, we’ve arranged equipment to help manage the traffic while we work in the road. We are sorry for the impact this may have on traffic in the area.”