Driver guilty of causing death of Gail and Ian Gale on the A47 at Belton-in-Rutland

A daughter has spoken of her heartbreak at having to identify her parents’ bodies hours after she had given birth.

Gail Gale, 58, and her husband Ian, 64, died in a crash on the A47 near Belton-in-Rutland on a November evening in 2022.

At Leicester Crown Court yesterday (Monday, November 25), Simarjeet Singh, 35, was found guilty of causing their deaths by careless driving. He had no licence and was uninsured.

Speaking after the conviction, Mrs Gale’s daughter, Emma Johnson, 34, said: “When I found out about mum’s death I was shocked and stressed. I was due to give birth imminently and the stress could potentially have been detrimental to my baby’s health.

“Imagine then having to identity your parents’ bodies hours after giving birth to your child - mum’s grandchild. The grandchild she would never meet. That is what I had to do.

“There is absolutely no justification for driving without a licence, putting everybody else on the road at risk.”

She added: “Knowing mum won’t get the chance to see her youngest grandchild or have a relationship with my four children is heart-breaking. She will miss out on having this relationship through no fault of her own. It is absolutely devastating to me.”

The crash happened shortly after 6pm on Friday, November 18, 2022.

Singh had been driving a Citroen C4 Picasso along the A47. A witness saw him swerve and then turn into the path of oncoming traffic.

This led to Singh crashing head-on with a Hyundai i10 being driven by Mrs Gale. Mr Gale was in the passenger seat.

Emergency services attended but Mr and Mrs Gale, who were from Leicester, both died at the scene. Singh had sustained minor injuries.

A crash investigator found no evidence either vehicle was speeding but said the swerve was indicative of Singh losing concentration or being distracted.

Singh had said there was a stone or animal in the road, but no evidence of a bump, stone or animal was found in the vicinity.

Singh, of Dishley Lane, Leicester, was charged in February this year.

DC Anna Andrew from the serious collision investigation unit said: “This has been a heart breaking incident to investigate.

“The actions of Singh show the devastating impact that careless driving and driving without a licence or insurance can have. There is no excuse or any reason to ever do this. It is putting lives, including your own, at risk.”

Praising Emma’s courage, she added that no family should have to go through what she had experienced.

Singh has been released on bail with conditions and is due to be sentenced on Friday 17 January.