Crash father's jail term upheld

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A man jailed for causing the deaths of four of his children will not have to serve more time in jail after a bid to increase his sentence was rejected.

Nigel Gresham was at the wheel of his modified Land Rover with his then partner and seven children when the vehicle plunged into the River Witham.

The Solicitor General argued the two-year sentence was unduly lenient.

But at the Court of Appeal in London, a bid to have the jail term extended was rejected and the sentence was upheld.

The case was referred by Solicitor General Vera Baird to determine whether the sentence was unduly lenient, but three judges sitting in London said they did not think it right to interfere with the conclusion reached by the trial judge.

Rescue efforts

Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, sitting with Mr Justice Lloyd Jones and Mr Justice Wyn Williams, said it was an "extremely sensitive and difficult" case.

Gresham, formerly of Chapel Hill, was jailed in January after a jury at Lincoln Crown Court decided he had been driving too fast in the Land Rover, which had been made unsafe by a series of modifications.

When he swerved to avoid an oncoming van, the Land Rover's axle snapped, causing it to roll over and into the river, the court heard.

Two-year-old Willow, Angel, aged four, Thor, six and eight-year-old Keavy died despite the efforts of rescuers to save them.

He had denied charges of causing death by dangerous driving.