A van driver who had been drinking and taken drugs has been jailed for nine years and four months after killing two young siblings in a crash on the M4. Martin Newman, 41, drove his Ford Transit into the back of a stationary car on the hard shoulder, killing Gracie-Ann Lucas, four, and her three-year-old brother Jayden-Lee Lucas, and seriously injuring their mother.
The collision occurred on the M4 westbound between junctions 28 and 29 in Newport on February 5. The family had stopped because Gracie-Ann needed to use the toilet. Newman, from Croeserw, Neath Port Talbot, had drifted from lane three to the hard shoulder before crashing into the Ford Fiesta.
Newman admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and drink-driving and drug-driving. He sobbed in the dock at Cardiff Crown Court as the facts were outlined. The court heard he had been driving erratically before the crash.
In a statement, the children's family said: 'On Saturday, February 5, Martin Newman devastated our family by taking our two beautiful children, Gracie-Ann and Jayden-Lee.' Sergeant Leighton Healan of Gwent Police said: 'Newman’s reckless actions highlight the real dangers of irresponsible driving, which can have such a devastating impact on other innocent road users.'
Newman was also disqualified from driving for 10 years, with an extension of four years and eight months while in custody. He must pass an extended driving test before regaining his licence. The siblings' joint funeral featured a Frozen and Spiderman theme, reflecting their interests.
