BMW driver who killed pregnant Hollyoaks star is jailed for 12 years

BMW driver who killed pregnant Hollyoaks star Frankie Jules-Hough, 38, and injured her son, 9, in horror M66 crash after she stopped on the hard shoulder to take a phone call is jailed for 12 years

• Adil Iqbal, 22, was found guilty of killing pregnant Frankie Jules-Hough, 38
• The star was known for playing Jess Holt on Hollyoaks between 2000 and 2001  

A driver who killed a pregnant Hollyoaks star in a horror crash on the M66 has been jailed for 12 years.  

Adil Iqbal, 22, was sentenced on Wednesday at Minshull Street Crown Court after killing Frankie Jules-Hough, 38 in a road smash in May. 

The 123mph crash also caused serious injury to her son, Thomas, nine, and four-year-old nephew, Tobias, who were both left in a coma. 

Ms Hough’s other son, Rocky, aged two, was also in the car when she stopped on the motorway hard-shoulder to take a telephone call at around 3.10pm on May 13, on the M66 in Bury, Greater Manchester.

Iqbal, from Accrington, Lancashire, who was driving a BMW, was arrested at the scene after filming himself weaving through traffic at the high speed.

Adil Iqbal, 22, has been jailed for 12 years and Minshull Street Crown Court after killing Frankie Jules-Hough (pictured), 38

Iqbal, from Accrington, Lancashire, who was driving a BMW, was arrested at the scene (pictured outside Manchester Crown Court in June) 

Frankie appeared on Hollyoaks as Jess Holt between 2000 and 2001. She also had roles in Merseybeat, Heartbeat, Where The Heart Is and Wire In The Blood, before becoming a Reiki practitioner. 

She had pulled over on the hard shoulder with a tyre puncture, with her two sons and nephew in the car, and was making a call to say she would be late when she let out a ‘blood curdling scream’, the court heard.

Iqbal’s BMW 140i undertook a motorbike then swerved, over-compensated and hit a crash barrier before spinning around and ploughing into Ms Jules-Hough’s Skoda Fabia at an estimated 92mph.

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.

Her son, Thomas Spencer, aged nine, and 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 in hospital.

Ms Jules-Hough was on the phone to Thomas’ father who, along with other family, dashed to the scene of the mangled car wreck, as emergency services and air ambulances descended.

Dashcam footage and footage from Iqbal’s phone was shown to the court, watched by relatives of Ms Jules-Hough, some of whom gave heart-rending victim impact statements before the defendant was jailed.

Frankie appeared on the soap Hollyoaks as Jess Holt from 2000 to 2001

The crash took place at 3.10pm on May 13, when two vehicles travelling southbound on the M66 in Bury collided, Greater Manchester Police said

Iqbal, from Accrington, Lancashire, admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one count of causing death by dangerous driving of Ms Jules-Hough.

Passing sentence, Judge Maurice Greene told him: ‘She was killed as a result of the most indescribable reckless driving by you Adil Iqbal, leading to the devastation of a family.’

Rose Gibson-Harper, the lawyer representing the victim’s family, criticised the judge’s decision in a statement on Wednesday. 

She said: ‘Today’s 12-year sentence is insulting and an injustice to the catastrophic injuries little Tobias sustained, and the life sentence Mrs Hough’s family were needlessly handed following her and her unborn daughter’s death due to an act of sheer stupidity.

‘Last year, 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.

‘This case stands as one of the worst examples of dangerous driving I have witnessed in my 27-year career as a catastrophic injury lawyer, and we expected the justice system to fulfil its duty and utilise its new-found powers.

‘It is important to emphasise that dangerous driving is not a game. It has real and devastating consequences, and we must collectively work towards creating a society that values responsible driving and prioritises the safety of all road users. 

‘We urge everyone to reflect upon this tragic incident, which should serve as a wake-up call for humanity.’

Relatives of Ms Hough (pictured) launched a fundraiser to support her family, saying their lives had been ‘truly turned upside down’

Her co-star Paul Danan has paid tribute, saying he was ‘truly devastated’ after hearing the news

Hollyoaks star Paul Danan, who played Sol Patrick between 1997 and 2001, previously paid tribute to his ‘beautiful and talented’ former co-star Frankie. 

Mr Danan told followers how ‘truly devastated’ he was after hearing the tragic news.

‘I just heard the most shocking upsetting news I’ve heard in such a long time,’ he wrote in an Instagram post.

‘Another good good friend who was such a special person has sadly passed away while carrying her unborn baby and her 2 little boys and nephew who were in the car too. They had a terrible car accident.

‘This wonderful actress played the character ‘Jess’ alongside me for nearly 4 years in @hollyoaksofficial her real name is Frankie Hough and I adored her. I feel so lost right now. #RIPFranki.’

Source: Read Full Article