The lives of everyone touched by these fatal crashes have been forever - and in most cases, irrevocably changed by the heinous actions of these dangerous drivers.
In the first four months of 2025 alone, crashes on South Yorkshire’s roads have resulted in 14 deaths, prompting police to warn that “extra vigilance can be the difference between life and death.”
Roads Policing Inspector Matt Collings says South Yorkshire Police is “working hard to create safer roads and put those who risk innocent people’s lives before the courts but need everyone’s help.”
All of the killer drivers pictured here showed a flagrant disregard for the rules of the road, and crucially, the safety of others; and have been convicted of the serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving.
The maximum sentence for the offence now carries a life sentence, following a change in the law in 2023. Prior to the change, the maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving was one of 14 years.
The longest sentence handed down to the killer drivers pictured here was given to Paul Yates, who, in 2024, was jailed for 12 years for causing the deaths of father and son Dean Jones, 44, and Lewis Daines, 16, who were out cycling together, before continuing to drive and injuring a woman and her children.
Each of these criminals received a prison sentence of more than four years, meaning their convictions will never be spent - or expunged - from their criminal records.
They also received lengthy driving bans, and will be required to take an extended driving test should they ever wish to legally drive after the ban has expired.
9. Brandon South: Jailed for seven years, six months
A callous boy racer posted videos of himself driving at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour on social media in the hours before he killed a beloved pedestrian, after carrying out a 'dangerous overtaking manoeuvre' causing him to 'lose control' of his vehicle. Brandon South is estimated to have been travelling at speeds of 74 miles per hour (mph) in the seconds before he mounted a grass verge and pavement on Haugh Road in Rawmarsh, Rotherham - which is subject to a 40mph limit - and hit pedestrian Robert Chessman, causing fatal injuries. In a statement from the 'close family' of Mr Chessman, who was just 43 when he died, they said he was 'an important person in many people’s lives' Describing the circumstances of the crash, which took place at around 1.25pm on January 7, 2022, Judge Richardson continued: "He’s driving around the residential area at the Rawmarsh district, at high speeds, getting up to 80 miles per hour (mph) at one point...Coming round the corner - as one might expect in the middle of the day - is another car." CCTV played to the court showed how, at this point, South appeared to be seconds away from a head-on collision with the vehicle coming in the opposite direction. Judge Richardson continued: "The defendant tucks in, because of this dangerous manoeuvre, over compensates and effectively loses control of the car and mounts a grass verge and pavement, near to a junction - from which a pedestrian is coming - and sadly kills him." South, aged 22 at the time he was jailed, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing. Judge Richardson sentenced South to seven years, six months behind bars. South was also made the subject of a five-year driving ban, with a three year, nine month extension to reflect the amount of time he is likely to serve in prison, bringing the total length of the ban to eight years, nine months. | SYP
![The young life of “loyal, kind, generous” Keita Mullen was cruelly snatched from her when Matthew Harris drove straight into her on High Street, Bawtry, Doncaster, after consuming 11 pints of lager.
Attending a March 27, 2025 court hearing via a prison video link, Harris, aged 36, remained silent as Judge Richardson detailed his “exceptionally dangerous,” “excerable” and ultimately, fatal, conduct in the early hours of July 24, 2022.
Judge Richardson described how Keita and her friend - who also suffered minor injuries - were crossing the road shortly after midnight and had “very nearly” made it on to the kerb on the other side when the crash occurred.
“The defendant simply drove into them without any attempt to stop, save for a fraction of a second before impact. The defendant drove off leaving [her] dead in the road,” said Judge Richardson.
The court heard how in addition to travelling nine miles per hour (mph) above the 30mph speed limit at the time of the crash, Harris was a banned driver following a conviction for drink driving the previous year, and was therefore also uninsured.
Judge Richardson handed Harris a prison sentence of 10 years and eight months for the offences of causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by driving a vehicle - driver unlicensed/uninsured at an earlier hearing.
Harris was also handed a driving ban of 12 years, to begin upon his release from custody.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2025/05/06/14/11/Matthew-Harris-Jailed-for-10-years-and-eight-months.jpeg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
10. Matthew Harris: Jailed for 10 years and eight months
The young life of “loyal, kind, generous” Keita Mullen was cruelly snatched from her when Matthew Harris drove straight into her on High Street, Bawtry, Doncaster, after consuming 11 pints of lager. Attending a March 27, 2025 court hearing via a prison video link, Harris, aged 36, remained silent as Judge Richardson detailed his “exceptionally dangerous,” “excerable” and ultimately, fatal, conduct in the early hours of July 24, 2022. Judge Richardson described how Keita and her friend - who also suffered minor injuries - were crossing the road shortly after midnight and had “very nearly” made it on to the kerb on the other side when the crash occurred. “The defendant simply drove into them without any attempt to stop, save for a fraction of a second before impact. The defendant drove off leaving [her] dead in the road,” said Judge Richardson. The court heard how in addition to travelling nine miles per hour (mph) above the 30mph speed limit at the time of the crash, Harris was a banned driver following a conviction for drink driving the previous year, and was therefore also uninsured. Judge Richardson handed Harris a prison sentence of 10 years and eight months for the offences of causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by driving a vehicle - driver unlicensed/uninsured at an earlier hearing. Harris was also handed a driving ban of 12 years, to begin upon his release from custody. | SYP
11. Brandon Varley: Jailed for seven years
Despite never holding a full driving licence, Brandon Varley was disqualified from driving just two days before the fatal collision on Brierley Road, Grimethorpe, Barnsley. Varley’s front seat passenger, and friend, Tze Chun Tsang, aged 51, was killed in the collision, and Sheffield Crown Court heard how after causing the two-vehicle crash Varley, then aged 18, fled the scene. During a March 2024 sentencing hearing, Judge Sarah Wright told him: "You ran away after the collision, leaving your passenger - and friend - injured and dying." Describing the circumstances of the fatal crash, Judge Sarah Wright continued: "You were driving a Purgeot motor car despite the fact you were disqualified from driving. Tze Chun Tsang was a front seat passenger when a police vehicle pulled up behind you. You drove off at speed and a pursuit ensued, which lasted for six minutes. You drove dangerously through a built-up residential area, failing to give way at a give way junction. "You travelled into the path of, and collided with, another car, containing two women and two children. The two women were both injured, and further trauma was also caused to them because they smelt burning and feared for the safety of the children." The court heard how Varley handed himself into police around a month after the fatal crash, which took place at around 5.55pm on May 2, 2021. He was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, one offence of causing death by dangerous driving and another one of causing death by driving whilst disqualified. Judge Wright jailed Varley for seven years, and told him he must spend at least two-thirds of his sentence behind bars Varley, of West Street, South Kirkby, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, was also handed a five year driving ban - with an extension of four years, eight months to reflect the time he is likely to spend in prison - bringing the total length of his ban to nine years, eight months. | SYP