A mother has expressed profound anger at the justice system after a driver convicted of killing her two young children was released from prison having completed less than half of his sentence. Martin Newman, 45, struck the family's stationary vehicle on the M4 motorway near Newport on 5 February 2022, resulting in the deaths of Gracie-Ann, four, and Jayden-Lee, three.
Rhiannon Lucas, 30, from Tredegar in Blaenau Gwent, stated that Newman—who was driving under the influence of alcohol and cocaine—had been freed after serving approximately four years and eight months of a nine-year-and-four-month sentence. She described the decision as
patheticand characterised the justice system as
a disgrace.
The circumstances of the crash revealed the severity of Newman's impairment at the time. According to court reporting on the incident, Newman had consumed cocaine and vodka, along with 10 cans of cider, until 05:00 on the morning of the collision. He then continued drinking red wine while operating his Ford Transit van, registering twice the legal drink-drive limit at the time of impact. Witnesses observed him weaving through traffic and using his mobile phone before he crossed three lanes and struck the family's red Ford Fiesta at 57 mph.
The family had stopped on the motorway's hard shoulder because Gracie-Ann was unwell during their return journey from a birthday party. Both children were transported to the intensive care unit at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Gracie-Ann suffered cardiac arrest due to the severity of her injuries and died on 6 February. Jayden-Lee died five days later, on 11 February.
Newman admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. At Cardiff Crown Court in April 2022, he received a sentence of nine years and four months and was disqualified from driving for 14 years and eight months. The Attorney General's Office received an application to review the sentence under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, which permits qualifying Crown Court sentences to be referred to the Court of Appeal. According to the sentencing judge, the court could not impose a higher penalty because the statutory maximum for such offences was 14 years.
What does the mother say about the release?
Rhiannon Lucas learned of Newman's release when her probation officer contacted her. She expressed her distress in stark terms:
He's a free man to do whatever he pleases while my two babies are lying in a grave. She described herself as
very angryand stated she had been attempting to engage with the parole board regarding the decision.
The impact on the surviving family members weighs heavily on Rhiannon's mind. The couple's daughter, Summer-Gracie, now three years old, will grow up without her older siblings. Rhiannon said that
Summer-Gracie would have loved her older sister and brotherand that the girl
will never get to meet her siblings who would have loved her so much.
Rhiannon is expecting another child and reflected on the permanence of her loss:
I'll never hold my children again or hear their laughter again because of his selfish actions that day. She added:
He destroyed my family and now he's a free man. She characterised her own situation as
a life sentence of my own - one of grief, while he is free to live his life.
She also spoke of the ongoing burden of grief:
Instead, I have two graves to visit on birthdays and Christmas and all the milestones my children will never see.
What is the official position on the release?
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that Newman's release was not part of the government's early prison release scheme. A spokesperson for the department acknowledged the gravity of the case, stating:
This was a devastating crime, and our deepest sympathies go out to the victims' loved ones.
The ministry emphasised that release on licence carries significant restrictions. The spokesperson said:
Release does not mean freedom. Any offender released on licence must abide by strict conditions or risk being sent back to prison.
The government has taken legislative steps to prevent similar early releases in future cases. The spokesperson noted:
We have blocked death by drunk or dangerous driving offences from recent sentencing changes, so hundreds more offenders stay behind bars for longer.
Key Facts
- Gracie-Ann Lucas, four, and Jayden-Lee Lucas, three, died following a collision on the M4 near Newport on 5 February 2022
- Martin Newman was driving a Ford Transit van while twice over the drink-drive limit and with cocaine in his system; he struck the family's stationary Ford Fiesta at 57 mph
- Newman received a sentence of nine years and four months in April 2022 but has been released after serving approximately half that term
- The family's surviving daughter, Summer-Gracie, is now three years old; Rhiannon Lucas is expecting another child
- Death by dangerous driving offences have been excluded from recent sentencing changes to prevent similar early releases
