A FORMER York man who killed a young mother by accidentally stabbing her during sex has been jailed.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that Jason Gaskell, 24, held a knife to the neck of Laura Huteson, 21, while they had consensual sex and that he liked to hold his sexual partners’ throats tightly.

He also kept a knife under his pillow for use during sex.

After the court case, police described the mother of one as “loving and caring”.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told Gaskell : “In simple terms you unlawfully killed the woman with whom you were having sexual intercourse by stabbing her through the neck during bizarre and violent, sadomasochistic sexual activity.

“You did not intend that to happen but the danger of stabbing the victim was obvious.”

He said Gaskell liked to grip his partners’ throats tightly and kept a knife under his pillow so he could hold it to their throat during sex.

“You regularly and repeatedly took colossal dangers when indulging your sexual fantasies. There can be no other way of characterising your conduct when a knife is used as a key component of the sexual act.”

The judge said: “This may be called role-play but it was an exceptionally dangerous form of it, with acute risks of death and serious injuries as part of it.”

He accepted Gaskell was remorseful.

Gaskell, formerly of Tang Hall, cried as he was sentenced to six years in jail at the end of what the judge called a “highly unusual case”. He admitted manslaughter by gross negligence.

The judge said Ms Huteson was a “much-loved daughter”, although she had become estranged from her family. “It is also a sad feature of this case that she ever became involved with you,” he said.

The couple, who met shortly before she died, were among a group drinking vodka and taking cocaine at Gaskell’s new home in Milldane, Hull on February 27.

They had sex during which Gaskell put his hands round Miss Huteson’s neck but he eventually stopped when she used an agreed safe word.

Later that night the two of them were seen playing in the snow outside the house but had sex again later.

Judge Richardson told Gaskell: “There is no suggestion it was any form of rape or in any way an act of unwanted sexual activity.”

“You were both heavily intoxicated through alcohol and drugs.”

Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Goulding, of Humberside Police, said: “Laura’s family have shown courage and determination during the investigations and the court proceedings, something they would never have expected to have to experience and that must have been very difficult throughout."