Family of pregnant Hollyoaks star killed by dangerous driver speak out
The family of pregnant Hollyoaks star, Frankie Julia Hough have broken their silence after the sentencing review of Adil Iqbal, who was found guilty for causing death by dangerous driving, took place today at the Court of Appeal.
In July, Iqbal was sentenced by the Minshull Crown Court in Manchester to 12 years in prison for causing the death of pregnant Hollyoaks star, Frankie Julia Hough and her unborn daughter due to dangerous driving on the M66, near Bury, on 13 May 2023.
However, his sentence was reviewed today, after campaigners said 12 years wasn't enough – with it being changed to 15 years instead of 12. Following the court review, Ms Hough's family have now spoken out as they shared a heartbreaking statement following the death of the soap star.
A statement from the victim's family's solicitor Rose Gibson-Harper, read: “Today’s sentencing review is a step forward towards the justice system finally treating road crime as real crime. This is, we believe, the biggest sentence for death by dangerous driving, with the Court of Appeal judges ruling that Iqbal’s original term was unduly lenient due to his persistent bad driving.
Iqbal was driving with one hand and holding his phone with the other to film himself (GMP / SWNS)“Last year, the maximum tariff for those convicted of death by dangerous driving was increased from 14 years to life imprisonment. While it is disappointing Tobias, Frankie and their families were initially let down, we are pleased the justice system has gone some way towards utilising its new-found powers. However, this must represent a landmark moment in the pursuit of justice for victims. Since the new and revised guidelines came into effect earlier this year, we have seen numerous motorists sentenced for these offences, but no judge has imposed anywhere near a lifetime jail sentence.
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“We cannot continue failing families by passing lenient sentences to those who invite death by their appalling driving. Those who kill with guns and knives rightly get long custodial sentences in the courts. However, dangerous drivers who kill or seriously injure people receive far shorter tariffs, with some avoiding jail altogether.
“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 the Court of Appeal judges agreed with this today. Lives have been lost, families have been shattered and life-long trauma has been inflicted on the young children who survived this act of sheer stupidity. Dangerous driving is not a game – it has real and devastating consequences. We must collectively work towards creating a society that values responsible driving and prioritises the safety of all road users.”
Iqbal was driving with one hand and holding his phone with the other to film himself, possibly to upload to Facebook, as he tailgated and undertook other vehicles and swerved across lanes, reaching 123mph in his father's BMW car on the M66 in Bury.
He pleaded guilty to killing Frankie, who was 17 weeks pregnant with her first daughter, Neeve, and causing serious injury to her nine-year-old son Thomas. Her four-year-old nephew, Tobias, was also badly hurt in the incident on the M66 near Bury, Greater Manchester, on May 13.
Frankie's other son, two-year-old Rocky, was also in the car when the 38 year old stopped on the motorway hard-shoulder to take a telephone call just before the tragedy. The mum, Tommy, Rocky and Tobias – all from Chadderton in Oldham – were transported to hospital via air ambulance. Frankie died as a result of the crash.
Thomas and Tobias were both placed in induced comas in intensive care. Neeve died two days after her mum in hospital surrounded by her family, having never regained consciousness from the horror crash.
After the case, solicitor Rose Gibson-Harper, who represents the victim’s family, 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.”
Iqbal, 22, from Accrington, Lancashire, who was driving a BMW at 123mph, was arrested at the scene. He admitted the two offences during a hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court in July.
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At the time, the court heard Frankie 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”.
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 was on the phone to Thomas’ father who, along with other family, dashed to the scene of the 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.
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.”
Pregnant Frankie was killed in the devastating collision (MEN Media)
Iqubal was sentenced to 12 years in prison initially (William Lailey / SWNS)The court was told Iqbal was convicted of driving without insurance in 2019 and in December 2021 posted a video to Facebook after filming himself speeding in a Lamborghini Huracan in Dubai. Two months before the deadly crash, he was given a warning by police after being stopped while racing an Audi car on public roads.
On the day of the smash, other drivers' dashcam footage caught Iqbal aggressively tailgating and undertaking on an A road leading to the motorway, with his car fish-tailing and swerving.
Rob Hall, prosecuting, said Iqbal was filming himself at the time, adding: "It may have been his intention to upload this video to Facebook as well. In the seconds before the collision, the dash of the BMW shows approximate speeds of 107mph, up to 123mph, which shows more than once." Mr Hall said Iqbal dropped his phone as he lost control of the car and hit Ms Jules-Hough's car.
Seconds before, Tom Spencer, Thomas's father, took the call from her to say she would be late. He told the court in a statement: "'Hi, Tom', I heard Frankie say before she let out the most blood-curdling scream. Next the impact and then silence. After a few moments, I could hear people trying to help. I heard a man say, 'We're not supposed to move bodies."
Mr Spencer, who drove to the scene, added: "Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw." His son was "limp and lifeless" and he told him: "Daddy is here, mate. Please come back to me."
Ms Jules-Hough's partner, Calvin Buckley, the father of unborn child Neeve, arrived to find her lying unconscious and badly injured. In a victim impact statement, Mr Buckley said: "What I witnessed that day, that weekend, those hours of desperation, those minutes praying for a miracle or those seconds watching my partner take her last breaths, will stay with me for a lifetime."
Frank Hough, Ms Jules-Hough's father, said his family has been devastated "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. Our worlds have been torn apart and for what? So this boy could try to make himself feel like a big man."
Iqbal was also banned from driving for 14 years.
Frankie starred as Jess Holt in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks from 2000 to 2001 and went on to other roles in Merseybeat, Heartbeat, Where the Heart Is and Wire in the Blood.
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