News

Man admits to killing pregnant mum-of-two in M66 horror crash near Bury

38-year-old Frankie Hough had pulled over onto the hard shoulder to take a phone call when the collision occurred.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 20th June 2023

A man has admitted to killing a pregnant mother-of-two during a horror crash on the M66 in Bury last month.

22-year-old Adil Iqbal, from Accrington in Lancashire, yesterday pleaded guilty to causing the death of 38-year-old Frankie Jules-Hough as a result of his dangerous driving after a serious collision between their two vehicles occurred while travelling southbound on the M66 in Bury at around 3:10pm on Saturday 13 May.

The court heard this week that the crash happened when Frankie had stopped on the motorway and pulled over onto the hard-shoulder to take a telephone call.

Shortly after officers and emergency services arrived at the scene, Frankie – who was a mother of two sons, Tommy, 9, and Rocky, 2, and was pregnant at the time of the incident – was taken to hospital with “life threatening injuries”, but sadly died in hospital on 15 May, GMP later confirmed.

Mr Iqbal, who was driving a BMW, was arrested at the scene of the collision.

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The M66 near Bury / Credit: Peter McDermott (via Geograph)

He was charged with one count of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving the following day.

As well as admitting to causing the 38-year-old’s death, Iqbal has also admitted this week to causing serious injury to Frankie’s nine-year-old son in the crash – which also left her younger son, and four-year-old nephew Tobais with lasting injuries.

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A third count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to Frankie’s nephew was not put to the defendant at the hearing yesterday, the BBC reports.

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Iqbal has now been remanded in custody to await sentencing on 19 July at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

Featured Image – GoFundMe

News

Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre

Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.

The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.

Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.

A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.

Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.

It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.

Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

News

Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.

As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.

Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.

The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.

Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.  

Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.

The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.

Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.

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“Help us be a lifeline to organisations on the frontline,” Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity urged in it’s public appeal for donations.

You can help make sure ‘A Bed Every Night’ is a reality for all by donating here.

Featured Image – EthelRedThePetrolHead (via Flickr)

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