Speeding driver, 32, who caused deaths of two boys is warned he faces ‘very significant sentence’
Speeding BMW driver, 32, who caused deaths of two schoolboy friends aged 10 and 11 who were riding their bicycles is warned he faces ‘very significant sentence’ – and slammed by judge for only admitting charges ‘two years later than he should have done’
- BMW driver Jack Hart, 32, was speeding at the time of the accident
- Steven, 10, and Mason, 11, were riding their bicycles when the tragedy happened
- Hart, of Anlaby Road, west Hull, previously denied causing their deaths
A speeding BMW driver who caused the death of two schoolboys, aged 10 and 11, by dangerous driving has finally changed his pleas to guilty – many months after he shamelessly ‘played the system’.
BMW driver Jack Hart was refused bail and remanded in custody after he left it until the day before a trial was due to start before he pleaded guilty.
Hart had been speeding at the time of the accident and had driven into a bus lane. He later removed a dashcam.
Hart, 32, of Hull, had previously denied causing the death of Steven Duffield on October 19, 2020 and causing the death of Mason Deakin on November 2, 2020 by dangerous driving on Anlaby Road.
BMW driver Jack Hart (pictured) was refused bail and remanded in custody after he left it until the day before a trial was due to start before he pleaded guilty
Best friends Steven, 10, and Mason, 11, were riding their bicycles along a busy stretch of Anlaby Road near the East Yorkshire buses garage when the accident happened at about 6.10pm.
Both boys were taken to Hull Royal Infirmary but Steven later died. Mason was kept in intensive care and had been transferred to Leeds General Infirmary, where he remained in a coma and on life support, but he died two weeks later, with his family by his bedside.
Hart appeared before Hull Crown Court for a plea hearing ahead of the trial, which had been due to start tomorrow.
His not guilty pleas to the charges were entered during an earlier appearance at the court in June.
Hart was represented for the latest hearing by Charlotte Baines, who said that the seriousness of the case we that fact that he contravened a bus lane and had been speeding before the fatal collision.
Steven Duffield, 10, (pictured) was riding his bicycle with his friend on along Anlaby Road when the accident happened. He later died after being taken to Hull Royal Infirmary
Mason Deakin, 11, (pictured) was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary, where he remained in a coma and on life support, but he died two weeks later, with his family by his bedside
Hart appeared before Hull Crown Court for a plea hearing ahead of the trial, which had been due to start tomorrow
He at first did not accept that he had anything to do with a missing dashcam.
However, after the case was stood down for Hart to give further details on this, Miss Baines later said that he did not now want to put in a basis of plea over his version of that matter.
She said that Hart had indicated that he would be changing his pleas to guilty a few days or weeks ago.
She asked for Hart to be allowed bail until the day of sentence so that he could sort out his affairs. She added that he had always attended previous hearings.
‘He has been on bail throughout,’ said Miss Baines. ‘There has been no difficulty with him surrendering to bail throughout the proceedings.’
She added that she wanted to collect character references and information from a ‘health specialist’ who had been working with him.
But Judge John Thackray KC said: ‘He has had two years to get his affairs in order. He has played the system and left it to the last possible minute.
‘His plea has come over two years later than it should have done.’
Hart curled his lip and stared ahead when he was told that he would be remanded in custody.
Judge Thackray said that Hart faced a ‘very significant sentence measured in years’.