Boy racer in BMW who killed Hollyoaks actress locked up over …
A boy racer behind the wheel of a BMW who killed pregnant ex-Hollyoaks actress Frankie Jules-Hough has been locked up[1] for 12 years. Adil Iqbal filmed himself racing at up to 123mph just seconds before losing control of the car and hurtling into Ms Jules-Hough's Skoda.
The actress, 38, had pulled over on the hard shoulder with a tyre puncture when the horror smash took place. She was on the phone when she made a 'blood-curdling scream'.
The mum-of-two was 17 weeks pregnant at the time and had just days earlier discovered she was having a baby girl. Her and her partner had named their baby girl Neeve.
Poll: Should pupils with low attendance be banned from prom?[3]
Her nine-year-old son Tommy and nephew four-year-old nephew Tobias were also 'very seriously injured' in the tragedy. Ms Jules-Hough's other son, Rocky, 2, was unharmed after being protected by his baby seat, ManchesterEveningNews reports[4].
Iqbal, 22, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He wept as he was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court[5] today.
Adil Iqbal (Image: Facebook)
Sentencing[6], Judge Maurice Greene said: "She was killed as a result of the most indescribably reckless driving by you, Adil Iqbal, leading to the devastation of a family." The court heard how Iqbal was driving a BMW M140i on the afternoon of Saturday, May 13.
He swerved in and out of traffic, undertaking and overtaking at speed, prosecutor Rob Hall said. One witness said his driving represented an 'accident waiting to happen', while another 'screamed out' after the defendant came within 'inches' of the back of her car.
Iqbal recorded a video using just one hand to hold his mobile and the other to steer prior to the collision. Police later used the video, which captured the BMW’s dashcam, to find he had been speeding at between 107mph and 123mph in the seconds before impact.
Ms Jules-Hough had pulled over on the hard shoulder on the M66, in Bury, near the Simister Island roundabout. She went out to inspect her car after noticing a flat tyre but then got back inside the vehicle and called her ex-partner.
Mr Hall told how Iqbal undertook a motorbike and was moving towards a slip road. He then swerved before there was a 'complete loss of control'.
The defendant hit a barrier and hurtled into the Skoda at 92mph. Iqbal scrambled out of the passenger side window and tried to 'make out that he’d done nothing wrong', Mr Hall said.
He blamed his driving on an issue with his rear wheel drive car. No defects were found with the BMW, the court heard.
Iqbal refused to tell police his phone PIN code but it was later cracked by officers, with the video he had taken before the collision found. Ms Jules-Hough - from Chadderton, Oldham - died from unsurvivable head injuries 36 hours later, while her unborn daughter had a heartbeat but was 'too young to survive'.
Tommy and Tobias suffered serious brain injuries and were put into induced comas, spending about a month in hospital. Their long-term prognosis has since been deemed 'uncertain'.
In an emotional statement read in court[7], Frankie’s father said his eldest daughter was his 'hero'. He said: "When you received a smile from Frankie, it warmed your heart and made you feel safe.
"I spent over two days without sleep, holding Frankie’s hand and begging her to come back, all the time knowing that this wasn’t going to happen. Frankie passed with the love of her whole family surrounding her in her bed.
"I promised Frankie that I would always protect her, and on that day, someone else broke my promise. I don’t think I can ever forgive him for that, but I know I will never truly forgive myself.
"Even though rationally I know I couldn’t have prevented what happened, it will never feel that way to me." He added: "I am trapped in a very long tunnel, and I can’t see any light at the end."
He claimed Iqbal was 'part of a network of young men who get a thrill out of this kind of behaviour'. The dad added: "Our worlds have been torn apart, and for what?".
He fought back tears as he addressed Iqbal and said: "So this boy could try and make himself feel like a big man? I am left full of guilt because I haven’t managed to keep her beautiful children together, and all because a young man wanted to show off, wanted to show his friends on social media how daring and cool he thought he was."
The court heard how Iqbal, of of Hope Street, Accrington, had his driving licence revoked in 2020 after driving without insurance. He posted a video on Facebook of him driving a Lamborghini on a public road in Dubai, using 'hard acceleration' and reaching 'high speed' four months before the collision.
Iqbal was also spotted by police 'racing' with another car in Lancashire while driving a VW Golf just two months before the crash, with both drivers told their cars could be seized if their 'bad driving' was seen again. Frankie’s partner Calvin Buckley, said in court[8]: "My past, present and future has been crushed and taken from me.
"And for what? An adrenaline rush, an ego boost, a false sense of worth, and selfish gratification with no regards for the safety of others. An unnecessarily dangerous risk-taking mentality that needs to change. For what? Was it worth it? The answer is no, it is not."
He added: "I want this tragedy to have a positive impact and deter others from reckless driving." Balbir Singh, defending, said Iqbal had volunteered as a boxing trainer.
He 'feels full responsibility' for the actions of that day, Mr Singh added.
References
- ^ locked up (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Killer parents guilty of causing death of baby girl who suffered multiple broken bones (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Poll: Should pupils with low attendance be banned from prom? (xd.wayin.com)
- ^ ManchesterEveningNews reports (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
- ^ Court (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Sentencing (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ court (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ court (www.birminghammail.co.uk)