Mother ‘blanked’ over road safety pleas after Ilkeston murder

Dozens of bollards are already in place in Market Square and traffic is completely banned between 10:00 and 16:00, but vehicles are allowed in for access at other times. Loraine wants the bollards to be permanent.

The area is framed by pubs and bars with many people gathering in the area in the evenings, especially at weekends.

Wilson said her son was waiting for a taxi when Newman – who the trial judge said was looking for trouble and under the influence of cocaine and alcohol – fetched his work van from a nearby car park and drove it at the group.

Newman was found guilty of Sam’s murder at Derby Crown Court in July 2024, and of wounding with intent and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to two other men who were injured by the van. He was ordered to serve a minimum of 24 years in prison.

“For the last two and a half years we’ve been campaigning just for basic safety measures in the Market Place – bollards, cameras, anything really,” Wilson said.

“We’ve not had a response, nothing… we don’t get any answers.”

Derbyshire County Council has written to the Erewash MP Adam Thompson in the past to say that installing bollards was “challenging”.

But Wilson said it was one of many measures that could be put in place to improve pedestrian safety.

“If they put cameras [there] they could make thousands every day, because there are so many vehicles that go up and down that shouldn’t do. Just a camera,” she said.