A driver who was jailed for causing the death of a father-of-two by careless driving has died from cancer while serving her sentence.
The Incident
Fay Newman, 35, crashed her Kia Ceed into Nick Bennell's Honda motorbike as she overtook traffic on the A448 Bromsgrove Highway on August 18, 2021. Bennell, a 35-year-old biker travelling to Redditch, was pronounced dead at the scene.
His family described him as having 'a smile that would brighten up the room' and 'the most infectious laugh'.
The Sentence
Newman, of Upper Field Close, Redditch, was jailed for 20 months in December 2024 for causing death by careless driving. She was also disqualified from driving for two years and ten months.
Death in Custody
Newman died at HMP Downview on July 20, 2025, from metastatic spindle cell sarcoma, a cancer affecting connective tissue. She had been released on unaccompanied Special Purpose Licence from June 24, 2025, allowing her to transfer to a hospice closer to her family.
An inquest concluded she died from natural causes.
Ombudsman Report
A Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report found that clinical care at the prison was 'of a good standard' and 'equivalent to that which she could expect to receive in the wider community'. However, there was a 'gap between initial assessment of symptoms and the final diagnosis', with 'opportunities missed that might have led to an earlier diagnosis'.
Despite this, the clinical reviewer noted Newman 'presented with metastatic advanced cancer, so this short delay would not have impacted on the rapid decline and subsequent death'.
The PPO recommended that healthcare staff be trained to recognise and escalate red flag symptoms related to back pain, and that two-week wait cancer referrals be properly monitored.
