Man responsible for Corby mum's death escapes from prison

Steven Michael Gaskell, 32, escaped from HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire sometime between 8.30pm and midnight on Friday.

Corby drug dealer Gaskell was driving a mini he bought for £400 on Facebook Marketplace when he rolled it more than 60m on the A427 near Brampton Ash.

He had only one eye, had drugs in his system, had never passed a driving test, and had previously been caught driving without a licence on seven occasions.

His girlfriend, young mum Courtney Donnelly, died in the crash. She left behind her daughter Lily-Mae, who was just two-years-old.

Gaskell, formerly of Fotheringhay Road, was jailed for five years and two months back in January 2024, and was ordered to serve half of the sentence in prison and the rest on licence.

He was also the only person ever charged with a crime in connection with the death of Corby doorman Les Ross. Back in 2013 he was charged with burgling Les’s house the day before he was found dead. His murder has never been solved.

He had been in HMP Sudbury, and open prison which allows prisoners to take part in courses and have free-run of the jail during the day. Some are even allowed to have jobs outside of the prison.

Just last month, James McFarlane, a drug dealer from Wellingborough, was returned to the jail after escaping and going on the run.

Over the weekend, Derbyshire Police issued an appeal for members of the public to help them find Gaskell.

He is described as being about 6ft 3ins tall, with blonde hair and a blonde/ginger beard.

The force said he has links to Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, West Yorkshire, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Rutland.

Anyone who knows where you know where Gaskell is should phone Derbyshire police on 0345 123 3333 and quote reference number 50-210625. You can also report sightings online or send a private message to Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page. You can also anonymously contact the independent charity CrimeStoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website.