Review into sentence of driver who killed mum-of-two

Adil Iqbal (Image: GMP)

The sentence of a dangerous driver who caused the death of a pregnant mum-of-two is to be reviewed after a decision by the Solicitor General.

Adil Iqbal ^[1] was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last month after the crash on the M66 motorway in Bury.

The court heard how Iqbal, 22, from Accrington, reached speeds of around 120mph as he swerved from side to side and he weaved in and out of the traffic. He recorded himself on his phone in the process.

However he crashed into the barrier and he careered into the car of Frankie Hough ^[2], 38, from Chadderton, who was stranded on the hard shoulder with a puncture alongside her two sons and her nephew.

Bury Times: Frankie Hough

Frankie Hough (Image: GoFundMe)

Ms Hough, who was pregnant at the time with daughter Neeve, died in hospital two days later. The boys survived but two of them, Tommy and Tobias, received critical care for their catastrophic injuries.

Iqbal admitted one count of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving for which he was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court by Judge Maurice Greene.

Judge Greene said: "She [Ms Hough] was killed as a result of the most indescribable reckless driving by you Adil Iqbal, leading to the devastation of a family."

Now the sentence is to be reviewed after a decision by the Solicitor General to accept a referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The Court of Appeal is able to rule the sentence is appropriate, to rule the sentence is "unduly lenient", or to refuse to consider the case at all.

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 of Appeal to decide whether to increase the sentence."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email [email protected] or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.

References

^{^} Adil Iqbal (www.burytimes.co.uk)
^{^} Frankie Hough (www.burytimes.co.uk)