M4 crash: Sentence review welcomed for drink-driver who killed two children

The heartbroken family of two children killed by a drink-driver have welcomed a sentence review that could see him locked up for longer.

Jayden Lee Lucas, aged three, and sister Gracie Ann, aged four, died after the family's Ford Fiesta was hit by Martin Newman's van on 5 February.

The 41-year-old had been drinking red wine while driving his Ford Transit and had cocaine in his system.

He was jailed for nine years and four months.

The crash happened on the M4 near Newport.

The family were travelling from a birthday party to Techniquest, in Cardiff, when they pulled onto the hard shoulder after Gracie Ann complained of a bad stomach and needing the toilet.

It was then Newman's van struck.

The childrens' mother, Rhiannon Lucas, was left with serious injuries.

She said she could no longer sleep for more than a few hours and medication did not help.

"When I go to bed I just watch telly to blank everything out," Ms Lucas said.

"Sometimes it does work and sometimes it doesn't, so it's a mess," she said.

She said her children had "hearts of gold".

"Gracie was always hyperactive, pleasant. Jayden Lee was like the wicked one out of the two," she said.

"He had a heart of gold and was always pleasant and smiling."

"It's heartbreaking," she added. "I've got to keep myself occupied now as I've got nothing else to do with my life."

The Ministry of Justice said it was introducing new laws which would increase the maximum sentence to life in prison for those who kill while driving dangerously.

It was announced on Tuesday that Newman, from Croeserw, Neath Port Talbot, will have his sentence examined by the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

The current maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving is 14 years.

But the children's grandfather, Jason Lucas, said they still wanted the law changed, even if Newman's sentence is extended.

"There's other families going through what we've had to, and we feel sorry for them," he said.

"He deserves to have two life sentences for what he's done to our kids.

"We'll keep on fighting whatever happens, but the law should be if you take a life and drink-drive, you get punished for it.

"He could be out in four years, that's nothing to him is it? But he should have had 15 years for each child."

Mr Lucas said he believed people needed to know they could not get away with drink-driving.

"Every day we see the kids going past, down to school," he said.

"That's what we used to do with our kids, take them to school.

"Gracie Ann used to go around the back and go on the trampoline, but there's none of that now.

"He's just ruined our lives."

The Ministry of Justice said its thoughts were with the family.

A spokesman said: "Dangerous drivers ruin lives, which is why our new laws will increase the maximum sentence for causing death to life."