Man who killed father and son cycling in Barnsley before driving off sentenced to prison
CCTV footage of Paul Yates released by South Yorkshire Police
A man who left a father and son to die in the street after hitting them with his car and leaving the scene has been jailed.
Paul Yates collided with Dean Jones, 44, and his son Lewis Daines, 16, on Royston Road in Barnsley, after losing control of his Volkswagen Golf while trying to overtake another vehicle and leaving the carriageway.
Around 9pm on 20 January 2023, 36-year-old Yates got behind the wheel of the car after an evening socialising in the town, though he was uninsured and only held a provisional driving licence. Police said he "had been drinking" prior to the crash.
Following the crash, he walked over to his critically injured victims, before getting back in his car and fleeing the scene.
Witnesses stayed with Mr Jones and Mr Daines and called for help, but they later died.
A short time later, Yates drove into the back of another car at speed, injuring a woman and her children before driving off again.
He then spent 11 days on the run from police before being arrested.
Yates, of Manor Road, Barnsley, appeared before Sheffield Crown Court on 20 May charged with causing the deaths by dangerous driving along with a separate count of dangerous driving.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, reduced from 18 years due to his early guilty plea. He was also disqualified from driving for 13 years.
In CCTV footage released by South Yorkshire Police, Yates' car can be seen overtaking a car at speed, and driving with airbags out which had activated following the collision with Mr Jones and Mr Daines.
He is then seen driving with the bonnet up obscuring the windscreen, stopping the car to push it down and driving off again.
Sgt John Taylor said: “Throughout this investigation, Dean, Lewis and their family have remained at the heart of our inquiry, alongside ensuring Yates cannot cause any further harm to our communities.
“Following the collision, witnesses helped us to identify Yates and confirm his involvement, with extensive enquiries leading us to discover that he was travelling more than the 30mph limit, and had been drinking prior.
“This helped us build a strong case against him and ensure he was brought before the courts.
“Our thoughts remain with Dean and Lewis’ family. As their heartache continues, they have showed immense strength in supporting us to bring Yates to justice."
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