[Uk] Caerphilly: Man sentenced for crash which killed two generations

A man has been given a suspended sentence for causing a car crash which killed a grandmother and her granddaughter.

Rhys Miles lost control of his Ford Ranger and crashed into another car in Fochriw, Caerphilly, last July.

Denise Hughes, 79, and Justine Hughes, 30, died at the scene of the crash while a three-year-old boy was injured.

The family of Denise and Justine said they could not "begin to express" their heartache.

Denise and Justine had been travelling in a blue Citroen C3 with the young boy when the crash happened at around 10:15 BST on 19 July, 2022.

They both died at the scene of the crash, while the boy was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Miles, of Penpedairheol, Caerphilly, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by careless driving.

He received a 30-week sentence, suspended for 15 months, and was also disqualified from driving for two years at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday.

The family of Denise and Justine said: "In Denise we lost a wife, a mam, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, a woman who was the head of our family.

"In Justine we lost a daughter, a sister, a niece and a granddaughter, but what is even more heart breaking is her two beautiful children lost their mam.

"They will both miss so much by not being here and we will love and think about them every day.

"We know that no sentence would ever be able to compensate us as a family for the loss we have experienced but at least now with the judge's ruling today, we have some closure on this chapter."

Shane Draper, from Gwent Police, said the case was "tragic" and had resulted "in the needless loss of two lives and impacted the life of a young boy".

He added: "Denise and Justine Hughes tragically lost their lives due to the irresponsible actions of Rhys Miles, who drove carelessly, and lost control of his vehicle.

"I hope this sentence serves as a reminder to everyone who gets behind the wheel - your responsibility isn't just to ensure your own safety, but the safety of everyone around you."