A man who was jailed in April after he killed two young boys while driving, died in prison on Christmas Day. The driver, Robert Brown, 53, mowed down Corey, six and his brother, Casper Platt-May, two, in Coventry in February.

At the time Brown had already been banned from driving, was travelling at more than twice the speed limit and had taken a cocktail of drugs.

He was jailed after admitting all charges against him, including two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. He had his sentence increased in July from nine years to 10 and a half years.

Robert Brown was serving a sentence of over 10 years after mowing down the children Corey and Casper Platt-May, in February. Photograph: West Midlands police/PA

The children had been with their mother on the way to a park when they were struck by Brown’s Ford Focus as they crossed MacDonald Road, Coventry.

Brown was imprisoned at HMP Dovegate, in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. A spokesman for Serco, which manages the prison, said: “We can confirm a prisoner died yesterday [Christmas Day] at HMP Dovegate, and, as is normal, the death will be subject to a coroner’s investigation.”

Brown, of Wyken, Warwickshire, had never had a driving licence and was banned from driving at the time of the crash. He had taken cocaine, diazepam and zopiclone, and was driving his Ford Focus at more than 60mph in a 30mph zone on 22 February when he ploughed into the brothers.

Brown, who fled the scene, had 30 previous convictions for driving offences and had only been released from prison six days before the crash after serving half of a six-month sentence for having an offensive weapon.

His passenger at the time of the crash, Gwendoline Harrison, 42, of Wyken, was jailed for six months after admitting assault intending to resist arrest and attempting to flee the scene.