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A delivery driver has been jailed for four-and-a-half-years for causing the death of Carmarthenshire dad Aaron Jones in a collision in December 2024.
Daniel Douglas Wyke, from Carmarthen, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, March 30, to be sentenced after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
The court heard that 28-year-old Wyke collided with Aaron of Llanpumsaint while driving through the Carmarthenshire village at 34mph – 14 mph over the speed limit – on the evening of December 23, 2024.
The collision happened near to Caer Salem Baptist Chapel sometime between 6.45pm and 7.45pm while Mr Jones was walking his dog.
Wyke fled the scene in his damaged vehicle, which was swiftly identified as being involved, and was arrested the following day.
Following the incident, police officers appealed for anyone travelling in the area at the time who have dashcam on their vehicles, or anyone with a doorbell camera or CCTV to check the footage and get in touch.
The family of Mr Jones, who was 38, described him as ‘a remarkable, strong, caring and brilliant man who always led by the best example’.
They added: “We would like to thank Dyfed-Powys Police, and especially the investigation team, for thoroughly investigating Aaron’s case and supporting us during this awful time, and helping to secure today’s sentence.
“We would also like to thank Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity for their priceless continuing support to our family.
“We are so fortunate to have the support of dear family and friends but also a community that continue to care for us as we try to rebuild our lives without Aaron.”
The judge described Wyke’s decision not to stop at the scene of the collision as ‘cruelly inhumane’ and told the court the driver was ‘more intent on saving his own skin’ than considering the harm he might have caused.
He said: “Those close to Mr Jones were frantically searching for him. The anguish they were feeling at the time was simply unimaginable.”
“As for the consequence of what you did, your dangerous driving cost the life of a well-loved father of two children, an adored husband and son, and a man who was a good friend to so many,” he added.
Wyke was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison, and is disqualified from driving for eight years and two months.
©Video: BBC Wales
©Pic: Dyfed Powys Police

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Transcript
00:00Aaron Jones, a hard-working father of two young children who was today described as irreplaceable
00:07to those who knew him.
00:08It was here in this rural village that Aaron Jones took his dog for a walk two days before
00:14Christmas and it was then he was struck by Daniel Wyke's car and his body was later discovered
00:20in the cemetery of the chapel behind me.
00:22He was even wearing a high-vis jacket when he was hit by the 28-year-old.
00:28The court heard how Wyke would have been driving around 14 miles per hour above the 20-mile-per-hour
00:34speed limit and instead of staying to help, Wyke fled the scene before returning but driving
00:41away again.
00:42He drove along this route to Carmarthen, delivering Chinese takeaways, something the judge Paul
00:48Thomas Casey today described as cruelly inhumane.
00:53The court heard how he told a friend at the Chinese restaurant how he thought he'd hit
00:58a tree and was agitated over how he'd pay for the damage to his car.
01:03The family Labrador was found by a passerby who contacted the number on his collar.
01:08This sparked a search for the 38-year-old man where he was later found and pronounced dead
01:14at the scene from a blunt head injury.
01:16Daniel Wyke showed no emotion from the dock as Aaron Jones' mother told him that he had
01:22taken away her only son and the fact that he drove away that night was completely unforgivable.
01:29Speaking emotionally and at length, Lisa Harve, Aaron Jones' wife, talked about the impact
01:35his death has had on her two young children.
01:37She said, I don't believe that the defendant is remorseful.
01:41The hard work of the police backed him into a corner.
01:44The court heard how Wyke had repeatedly denied that he'd hit anyone.
01:49His defence barrister today said that this lie was maintained out of panic.
01:54Daniel Wyke will today start his sentence of four and a half years in prison and an eight-year
02:00and three-month driving ban, but for Aaron Jones' family, the grief will last a lifetime.
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