The year had barely begun when bus driver Jonathan Eaves stood before York Crown Court to learn his punishment for causing the death of the much-loved Hob Moor Oaks Academy employee Saskia Bets by dangerous driving.
Jonathan Eaves (Image: Police) The 25-year-old of Preston is now serving four years and eight months behind bars.
Ms Bets had no chance to avoid him when he swerved into her path as she drove to her work with children with autism and/or learning difficulties.
In February, James Michael David Webber, formerly of Beal near Selby, was jailed for 13 years for the blackmail and online sexual abuse of a child, having indecent images of children and extreme pornography.
As the year was to show, there are others like him across the country blackmailing children online into performing sexual acts for the paedophile’s sexual gratification.
Coraleena Hunter, 44, of no fixed address, was jailed in March for four years, six months and two weeks. She specialises in burgling elderly people by getting into their homes under false pretensions.
In April York Crown Court heard how paedophile Leo George Neal, 24, of York, was “out of control”. Even being monitored by police because of earlier offending didn’t stop him committing sexual offences involving girls. He is now serving a nine-year extended prison sentence which means he gets extra supervision on release.
May saw Alan John Barker and 12 of his cannabis dealing gang sentenced. The 56-year-old, of Long Drax near Selby, had illegal guns and had hidden his major underworld operation under the cover of genuine businesses in Selby. He is now serving nine years and nine months.
Two brothers were jailed for 23 years between them in June for the terrifying robbery of an elderly couple in Malton. John Gibbons, 38, and his brother Mark, 44, both of Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, wore balaclavas as they subjected the couple to serious violence and stole their jewellery.
Nicholas Whiteside, 29, formerly of York, had already served one lengthy sentence for large-scale fraud when he appeared before York Crown Court in September and was jailed for two years and eight months for more fraud.
At the beginning of November, barrister Hamish Hickey, 40, of Ampleforth, appeared as a defendant before York Crown Court to admit causing the death of an 85-year-old pensioner in his village by dangerous driving. He was jailed for 23 months.
In November Joshua Anthony Strickland, 29, and Robinson Peter Fitch Binks, 27, both of York were told they could receive life sentences after they were convicted of spraying flammable liquid over a third man and setting fire to him. They have been behind bars since their arrest in April after a manhunt and will learn the length of their punishment in January.
Two men already serving life sentences after each was convicted of murder in the autumn are Jack Crawley and Vincent Morgan.
In November, Crawley, 20, of no fixed address, was told he will serve a minimum of 37 years after a jury found him guilty of attempted murder on the former RAF Acaster Malbis and murder of a man in Cumbria.
In December Morgan, 47, of Malton, was told he must serve 21 years for drowning his girlfriend Lisa Welford in the River Derwent in the Ryedale town.
