A dangerous driver who killed two little boys as he ploughed up a busy road at nearly double the speed limit has been jailed.
"Remorseless" Jack Hart was driving at 57mph in a 30 zone at rush hour when he hit Steven Duffield, 10, and 11-year-old Mason Deakin.
The 32-year-old drove his blue BMW at "excessive speed" through Hull city centre at rush hour on October 19, 2020, ignoring bus lane rules and undertaking other drivers.
After hitting the two boys, who had been playing on their bikes near a flyover, Hart then destroyed his dash cam in a bid to hide the evidence of his appalling driving, which cops said showed "showed a reckless disregard for the safety of others".
The youngsters were both rushed to hospital, with Steven succumbing to his injuries that evening before Mason died two weeks later.
Hart from Hull, was jailed for nine years on Wednesday at Hull crown court after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing on Monday to causing death by dangerous driving.
A judge also banned Hart from driving for 13 years, meaning he'll be able to drive again by 2036.
Steven Duffield's parents said in a statement their "world stopped" when Hart killed their son.
"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," the family said in their heartbreaking tribute.
“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."
Senior lead investigator Rob Mazingham, from Humberside Police, said: “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."
Sgt Mazingham added: “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."
A statement from both boys' families said: “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.”
