A dangerous driver who killed 2 young friends riding a bike in Hull has been jailed for 9 years
He was also disqualified from driving for 13 years
Last updated 1st Feb 2023
A man has been sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after two boys died following a road traffic collision on Anlaby Road in Hull.
32 year-old Jack Hart from Anlaby Road, Hull, appeared at Hull Crown Court today (Wednesday 1 February) for sentencing after entering a guilty plea at court on Monday (30 January), which should have been the first day of his trial.
Hart was also disqualified from driving for 13 years.
In October 2020 Hart was driving a blue BMW westbound along Anlaby Road, Hull, when the fatal collision occurred.
The court heard how he’d been speeding through bus lanes at an average of 57 miles per hour – before colliding with the boys who were on a bike.
Emergency services said they battled to save 10 year-old Steven Duffield's life – but he was pronounced dead 50 minutes later.
His friend, Mason Deakin aged 11 , died two weeks later in hospital
Senior lead investigator, Sergeant Rob Mazingham said:
“This has been a lengthy investigation and I’d like to offer my sincerest thanks and praise to the families of both boys for their patience and dignity throughout.
"I’d also like to commend PC Sally Acomb for her tenacity and the entire investigation team for their work throughout this lengthy investigation.
“Jack Hart showed a reckless disregard for the safety of others, driving through the city centre in rush-hour traffic at grossly excessive speed, undertaking vehicles and ignoring bus lane regulations.
“Driving in such a manner made a collision at some point inevitable, and tragically, his impatience and irresponsible actions took the lives of the two boys who had everything to look forward to
“Following the collision, Hart removed the dash camera from his vehicle and it was never recovered. The investigation team have been stunned by his complete lack of remorse throughout and hope today’s sentencing may provide a level of comfort for those who have been so deeply affected, knowing that justice has finally been served and that Hart has been held accountable for his actions that day."
Following the outcome at court, speaking of their heartbreak, Stephen Duffield and Mason Deakin’s families said:
“Losing our boys is something we will never fully recover from, and we would not wish this heartache on anybody.
“Whilst we know that Hart’s dangerous driving led to the collision that took Stephen and Mason from us, we hope something good may be able to come from it all.
“All parents and their children need to understand the importance around road safety and the dangers of playing close to traffic, whether that be on foot or bike, and we want to raise awareness of our loss to be able to try and prevent anything like this happening to any other families.”
In a statement from Stephen Duffield’s parent, they said:
“Our world stopped on 19 October 2020. We died the same time Jack Hart killed our son Stephen and his friend Mason.
“Stephen was 10-years-old and was in his last year of primary school. He was due to start high school the following September.
“Stephen would have been 13 on 19 March. A teenager. He should be here doing the things he loved, watching Liverpool FC, out on his bike, playing on his PlayStation or winding his family up.
“Stephen was the youngest child of seven, leaving two brothers and four sisters. He was our son, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin and a friend to many! A true social butterfly.
“We were your normal family, we enjoyed days out, our annual summer holidays to Butlins, but now, our days are long, dark and silent.
“We only feel only one emotion towards Hart and that’s anger. His attitude throughout the 27-months of this investigation shows he has a total lack of empathy or respect for anyone but himself.
“Hart has been so controlling and manipulative, prolonging our heartache for over two years when all we want is to seek justice for both Stephen and Mason.
“His continuous ‘no comments’ in his interviews and not guilty pleas at past court appearances, and to further infuriate us, the day before he stands trial, he changes his plea to guilty with no explanation ever offered to our families.
“We are pleased Hart is now in prison and has been sentenced, but it doesn’t change the fact that he has stolen Stephen and Mason’s futures.
“We would like to thank Humberside Police for all they have done for us, and for getting justice for our boys.”