A young Liverpool FC fan and his friend were killed by a BMW driver who was travelling at nearly double the speed limit.
Jack Hart was driving at 57mph in a 30mph zone when he hit Stephen Duffield, 10, and Mason Deakin, 11, who had entered the road on a bike. The 32-year-old drove at "excessive speed" through Hull city centre at rush hour on October 19, 2020, ignoring bus lane rules and undertaking other drivers.
After the crash, Hart removed the dashcam from his car and the footage was never recovered. Both boys were taken to hospital but despite the best efforts of medical professionals, Stephen died that evening and Mason died two weeks later.
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Hart from Hull, was jailed for nine years on Wednesday, February 1, at Hull crown court after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing on Monday to causing death by dangerous driving. He was also banned from driving for 13 years.
Police said they were "stunned" by Hart's lack of remorse throughout the investigation.
Speaking after the sentencing, the families of Stephen Duffield and Mason Deakin 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.”
Stephen Duffield’s parents said in a statement their "world stopped" the day their son was killed. They said: "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.”
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."
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