Two men jailed over death of Doncaster father in 'devastating' attack outside working men's club
Two men have been jailed following the death of a much-loved father and grandfather who was viciously attacked outside a working men's club in Doncaster.
Two men have been sentenced for their involvement in the death of 53-year-old Jason Gaskin, who was attacked outside Park Social Working Men's Club in Balby, Doncaster.
Jason died following the attack in the early hours of Sunday (Oct 29), 2023.
He was found unconscious outside the venue and, despite the efforts of emergency services, died at the scene.
South Yorkshire Police launched an investigation into his death, with extensive CCTV enquiries uncovering footage of two men, Jake Wells and James Neeson, attacking Jason in the minutes before he died.
Following the assault, Neeson disconnected the CCTV system and concealed the hard drives containing footage of the attack in the loft space of the club.
However, investigating officers later recovered the hard drives, uncovering crucial evidence of the pair's involvement.
Wells, 28, was subsequently charged with manslaughter, while Neeson, 50, was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.
Both men, from the Balby area of Doncaster, pleaded guilty to the charges at Sheffield Crown Court in July.
They returned to the same court on Monday (Oct 19), where Wells was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.
Neeson was jailed for nine months.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Adam Watkinson, from South Yorkshire Police's Major Crime Unit, said: “This was a devastating attack which led to the death of a much-loved father, grandfather, and husband.
“Neeson’s attempt to cover up his and Wells’ involvement in Jason’s death showed a total lack of remorse and accountability.
“Fortunately, officers were quick to recover the vital evidence and both men now face justice for their crimes.”