'Despicable' drink driver from Byram killed 12-year-old girl in crash then lied about it

North Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Group posted an update after 37-year-old Gary Smith of Byram was sentenced to five years and nine months imprisonment for driving with both drink and drugs in his system and hitting Kaitlin Mitchell.

Kaitlin was crossing the road after getting off her school bus on West Acres in Byram on September 28, 2017.

Miss Mitchell, who suffered serious head injuries, was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary but never recovered, despite having emergency brain surgery.

She died in hospital a week later.

Smith, who fled in his Vauxhall Astra following the accident, tried to cover his tracks by making a 999 call to police, claiming his car had been stolen from his driveway, which was just a few metres away from the scene of the collision.

However CCTV cameras caught him driving through Knottingley and parking his car in a car park behind Yorkshire Bank.

A police officer who went to his address to take a statement about the 'stolen car' suspected he had been drink -driving and breathalysed him.

Smith was jailed at York Crown Court for five years and nine months after pleading guilty to causing the death of Miss Mitchell by driving without due care while over the limit for alcohol.

He was also charged for drink and drug-driving, failing to report an accident, failing to stop after an accident and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Prison sentence for driver who drove with drink & drugs in his system, hit and killed 12 year old Kaitlin Mitchell and fled the scene then called Police to report his car being stolen! Our

The North Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Group posted on Facebook: "Out thoughts remain firmly with the family and friends of young Kaitlin.

"A detailed investigation by our team & subsequently the Major Collision Investigation Team has brought this ‘selfish, despicable & cowardly individual’ [to justice]."