The man who killed pregnant mum Frankie Hough in a horror crash on the M66 was FILMING himself driving at dangerous speeds at the time.
Adil Iqbal has today been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to death by dangerous driving.
Police have released footage filmed by Iqbal on his mobile phone, which shows him weaving a black BMW between cars on the motorway.
He was driving with one hand and filming himself undertaking and overtaking cars at speeds up to at least 123mph.
Shortly afterwards, the 22-year-old lost control of the vehicle, which span around and collided with Frankie’s.
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The victim’s car was stationary in the hard shoulder while she took a phone call. She had three children inside the car, who were all trapped.
Two of the children and Frankie were all unconscious, but her two-year-old son was awake and crying for his mum.
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Passers-by bravely tried to free the family from the wreckage while waiting for emergency services to reach them.
The video Adil Iqbal was recording before the crash:
Frankie Hough, 38, and the three children were rushed to hospital, but tragically she died in hospital a few days later as a result of her injuries.
Two of the children in the car were left with serious injuries and one with minor injuries.
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Iqbal was arrested at the scene of the collision near Bury, which occurred on Saturday 13 May 2023 at around 3.10pm, and remanded into custody.
He now faces 12 years behind bars as well as a further disqualification from driving for 13 years.
Detective Constable Richie Hughes of GMP’s Road Policing Unit, said: “Our thoughts are of course with Frankie’s family and her children who were also involved in the collision. I truly hope that the sentencing of Adil Iqbal who is a dangerous and reckless individual – brings her family and loved ones some form of closure.
Adil Iqbal, who has been jailed for dangerous driving after the death of pregnant Frankie Hough. Credit: GMP
“Iqbal’s actions that day were nothing short of appalling. He knowingly and willingly chose to drive his car at those speeds with little regard for other drivers on the motorway at the time.
“He showed absolutely no regard for the law or other road users that day.
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“Sadly, Frankie and three young children were caught up in his recklessness and we have lost another life to dangerous driving.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to warn people to please think about how you drive and the high speeds you can reach in vehicles. Think not only of yourself, but your family, your friends, your loved ones and most importantly think about other people who you could hurt.”
How will the Government’s new digital ID alternative for alcohol sales work?
Emily Sergeant
All licensed venues across England and Wales now have the choice to introduce digital proof of age for alcohol sales alongside physical.
Instead of having to hand over physical ID that contains personal information, such as names and home addresses, customers now have the choice to simply provide confirmation that they are 18 or over on their phone – helping to better protect privacy and personal safety in the process.
This means that, no matter whether you’re buying a drink at your favourite pub, heading to a festival, or enjoying a night out at a concert, you won’t need to worry if you’ve left your ID at home.
According to the Government, this new change will benefit businesses greatly too, as certified digital services are able to check that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it much easier than the alternative can, which therefore helps to reduce the risk of any fake or borrowed IDs going undetected.
Well, according to the Government, it could be as simple as a customer showing a QR code for staff to scan, or tapping their phone against a compatible reader, where staff will then receive a clear confirmation on their device that the customer has passed the age check.
This change follows a 2024 Government consultation where it was reported that 72% of respondents supported the use of digital identities for age verification when buying alcohol.
Digital Government Minister Stephanie Peacock reiterated that ‘it will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt [digital ID]’ and that physical ID will ‘still remain a valid way’ for customers to prove their age.
“This groundbreaking change in the law will mean you do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information such as your name or address just to prove your age, allowing everyone to feel safer on a night out,” she concluded.
Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
News
Manchester to host G20 Summit in 2027 with more than a dozen world leaders descending on the city
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has been confirmed as the host city for the G20 Summit next year.
It was already announced back in November last year that the G20 Summit would be coming to the UK in 2027, and plans were apparently already being discussed to host it in Manchester even before Andy Burnham became Prime Minister and Number 10 North was set up.
But now, ahead of this year’s leaders’ summit being held in Miami in December, it has been confirmed that the G20 Summit will arrive in Manchester in November 2027.
Manchester is said to have been picked to host the leaders’ summit because of its ‘cultural heritage’.
Bringing together 19 of the world’s largest economies and two major multilateral bodies – the European Union and the African union – G20 members who will be invited to attend the summit next year make up 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population as a whole.
Manchester has been confirmed to host the G20 Summit in 2027 / Credit: 10 Downing Street | Paul Kagame (Flickr)
G20 members are also some of the UK’s closest economic partners, the Government insists.
17 of the UK’s top 20 global export markets attend the summit, as do 18 of the UK’s top 20 sources of foreign direct investment.
The presidency of the G20 is currently held by the US but will pass to the UK after the leaders’ summit hosted by the president at his Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in December.
The 2027 summit will be held at Manchester Central, it has been confirmed, and other locations across the UK will also host other G20 events as part of the year-long presidency, but these are yet to be announced.
Daisy Jackson -
19th July 2023 
