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Father jailed for murdering son Father jailed for murdering son
(40 minutes later)
A man who murdered his four-year-old son and tried to kill his teenage daughter has been jailed for life and told he must serve 21 years.A man who murdered his four-year-old son and tried to kill his teenage daughter has been jailed for life and told he must serve 21 years.
Christopher Hawkins, 47, of Royd Street, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, stabbed son Ryan to death last September, Leeds Crown Court heard.Christopher Hawkins, 47, of Royd Street, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, stabbed son Ryan to death last September, Leeds Crown Court heard.
He was also convicted of attempting to murder his daughter Donna, 14.He was also convicted of attempting to murder his daughter Donna, 14.
Hawkins attacked the children as a form of revenge after his marriage broke down and his wife started an affair. Mr Justice Wilkie said Hawkins had killed Ryan as "a cold-hearted vehicle to avenge his wife's affair".
After the attack, Hawkins, who was covered in blood, had a pint in a pub and said he had stabbed his children. The judge told Hawkins: "A more horrific crime it is hard to imagine than savagely and repeatedly to stab your young son who, in his agony, had to try to fend off blows from one of the people he was most entitled to expect love and affection.
He didn't think about Ryan or Donna, he only thought about getting back at her Simon Myerson QC , prosecuting "Although to this court, and after the event, you profess great love for Ryan and mourned his passing, in my judgment, having seen you give evidence and had the opportunity to assess your genuineness, these were crocodile tears."
It took the jury less than three hours to reach its verdict. Extremely unhappy
During the eight-day trial, sheet metal worker Hawkins claimed he had been insane and had no recollection of what he had done. Judge Wilkie said he did not accept that Ryan had been killed in a spontaneous attack.
He said: "It wasn't me that day. It was like some evil inside me. "I'm satisfied that you used him (Ryan) cold-heartedly as a vehicle for avenging yourself on your wife."
"I must have been insane. If I was sane that day, Ryan would be here now and my daughter would not have those horrific scars." Manual worker Hawkins and his wife, Valerie Gee, had separated in May 2007 after she told him she no longer loved him.
Donna was stabbed 13 times but survived. The sheet metal worker later discovered that she had started an affair with taxi driver Lee Tinker, while they were still living together and was "extremely unhappy" about the relationship.
Christopher Hawkins told the court he loved his children Donna Hawkins survived being stabbed 13 times
The children were attacked after Donna went to collect her brother from their father's house, where he had been living since splitting with their mother Valerie Gee. The day before the fatal attack would have been his and Miss Gee's 17th wedding anniversary.
In court, the teenager said as she tried to leave the house, her father had apologised before stabbing her. But the judge went on to praise Donna, 14, who had suffered serious multiple wounds in the attack.
The girl told police: "He [Hawkins] said I'm going to kill Ryan now." He said the teenager's court appearance was in "stark contrast" to the performance of Hawkins, who he (the judge) accused of not having the "moral courage" to face up to what he did, instead blaming "something evil" inside him.
Ryan died after two of the nine stab wounds penetrated his heart. His sister was left with a deflated lung and stab wounds to her liver. "Your daughter, by the way she gave her evidence, showed herself to be a credit to herself, her mother and her sister.
The court heard that Hawkins wrote a series of notes, which mentioned his anger at finding out his wife of 17 years was having an affair and and one which stated he would kill his son. "This is the more so when one is aware of the pain and difficulties she has been subject to."
Despite admitting the notes were in his handwriting, he said he did not remember writing them. Donna Hawkins suffered injuries to her face, chest, abdomen, arm and thigh. Two of the wounds had penetrated her abdomen with sufficient force to also penetrate her liver and one deflated her lung.
Simon Myerson QC, prosecuting, said: "He didn't think about Ryan or Donna, he only thought about getting back at her." He father had also "cut a chunk" out of his daughter's right arm.
In the run-up to the murder Hawkins had been drinking up to 20 pints a day to get over his break-up, the court heard. Judge Wilkie said: "I'm satisfied, but for the speed and skill of the doctors at the hospital, you would have faced two murder charges."