McCormick: Death crash goalie gets 7yrs 4months

[clippedgull]

A Championship footballer has been jailed for seven years and four months for causing the deaths of two children by dangerous driving.

Former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick, 25, admitted causing the deaths of Arron Peak, 10, and Ben Peak, eight, and driving with excess alcohol.

The brothers, from Partington, Greater Manchester, died in a crash on the M6 in Staffordshire on 7 June.

McCormick entered his guilty pleas at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court earlier.

'Prison inevitable'

Judge Paul Glenn had told him a custodial sentence was inevitable.

The court heard that when breathalysed McCormick, who had been returning from a wedding, was found to have 74 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Friends and relatives of the Peak family were at the court

The brothers and their father Philip Peak, 37, were in a Toyota Previa with friends, travelling to Silverstone racetrack, when the crash happened.

Their car was involved in a collision with McCormick's Range Rover at about 0545 BST on the southbound carriageway of the motorway between junctions 15 and 16, near Keele services.

Mr Peak, 37, who was driving, was seriously injured in the crash.

McCormick kept his head bowed and covered his face with his hand as the court heard he had told eyewitnesses at the crash scene: "I am so sorry, I'm sorry. I just fell asleep. I fell asleep, I'm sorry."

Before the accident other motorists noticed him "driving like an idiot" and estimated his speed at around 90mph (144km/h).

McCormick, a former England youth international, had his contract with Plymouth cancelled by mutual consent a month after the crash.

'Hopes shattered'

In a victim impact statement the boys' parents, Philip and Amanda Peak, said their lives had been "shattered" by the accident.

"All our hopes and dreams for the future have been taken away from us," they said.

In mitigation, John Jones told the court McCormick had become introverted and suffered nightmares after the crash.

"He was a professional footballer with a potentially glittering future.

"His career would have developed, the rewards in every sense of the word, would be limitless."

That was lost forever and McCormick is a shadow of his former self, he added.

Friends and relatives of the boys were at the court to hear McCormick plead guilty.

An idiot amongst the other idiots out there drinking and driving above the limit 24/7.

 

[Scarface]

So out in 3 years with good behaviour and snapped up by Oldham?!

 

[Tooting Gull]

Just a terrible story, how on earth are the parents dealing with it all. Brings to mind a couple of the posts edna made in the 'texting' thread - the rest of your life is a long time to regret one stupid action.

 

[User removed 4]

should have been lifed off..... wanker.

 

[Djmiles]

Should have got 10 times the sentence.

Hell, does that mean if I want to kill 2 people I can get drunk and run them over and possibly be out in 3/4 years? :thud:

 

[NMH]

Just incredibly sad for all concerned.

Loads of people do what that lad did after a few bevvies, but most don't end up in accidents like that. I have seen older blokes driving after lunch on their way to a match, who were clearly under the influence.

 

[SNOOBS]

Obviously tragic for the family but they don't have to be ***** to him. I'm sure he's fully aware of his wrongdoing, and theres some twats waving pictures of the children in his face.

 

[User removed 4]

Obviously tragic for the family but they don't have to be ***** to him. I'm sure he's fully aware of his wrongdoing, and theres some twats waving pictures of the children in his face.

lets truly hope you're never in their position, you should think before judging them.

 

[Zesh Rehman]

So out in 3 years with good behaviour and snapped up by Oldham?!

haha, id say so

 

[Leekbrookgull]

What i find somewhat disturbing is the inconsistency in sentencing. A few years back a 'boy racer' managed to kill 2 of his five passengers one Saturday night. Although the driver had not been drinking he ignored the two girl passengers pleas to slow down. Police reports told of speeds in excess of 75mph in a 40 zone. Sentence 12 months in a young offenders institution.

 

[Gritt23]

I think this is tragic for all concerned. The driver as well as the family of those who died.

The crash happened at 5:45am, which suggests to me that McCormick was driving before the alcohol from the previous night had passed through his system, thus leaving him over the limit. How many of us can be 100% sure we have never driven the following day while still under the influence.

 

[Da Man Clay]

Obviously tragic for the family but they don't have to be ***** to him. I'm sure he's fully aware of his wrongdoing, and theres some twats waving pictures of the children in his face.

You have no idea do you. You imagine losing the two closest things in your life over something that could have been totally avoidable. I hazard a gues that you would be a bit of a **** to him as well.

 

[Man of Harveys]

How many of us can be 100% sure we have never driven the following day while still under the influence.

Right...and how exactly would that make it ok? He had 74 micrograms of alcohol at the time he killed those kids. The legal limit is 35. At that amount, that's not just driving with a bit of a hangover, that's driving while you know you're kunted. No excuse.

 

[Gritt23]

Right...and how exactly would that make it ok? He had 74 micrograms of alcohol at the time he killed those kids. The legal limit is 35. At that amount, that's not just driving with a bit of a hangover, that's driving while you know you're kunted. No excuse.

I'm not offering it as an excuse, there isn't an excuse.

I'm just pointing out that there is an element of hypocrasy in us all, as I bet a lot of us have been behind the wheel of a car when we shouldn't have been.

But yes, you are right, the fact that we was still so far over the limit is a significant factor here. However, the accident would appear to be caused by him falling asleep, and again, I've driven tired, haven't we all.

 

[NMH]

I'm not offering it as an excuse, there isn't an excuse.

I'm just pointing out that there is an element of hypocrasy in us all, as I bet a lot of us have been behind the wheel of a car when we shouldn't have been.

But yes, you are right, the fact that we was still so far over the limit is a significant factor here. However, the accident would appear to be caused by him falling asleep, and again, I've driven tired, haven't we all.

I have to confess I've felt the effects of just ONE pint, and not known that it was effecting me until after I was behind the wheel and driving on the motorway! I would have very-likely blown under the legal limit, quite alright, but knowing it was effecting me was the point - not the thought of my microspecks per mililitre or whatever.

 

[Hannibal smith]

I'm not offering it as an excuse, there isn't an excuse.

I'm just pointing out that there is an element of hypocrasy in us all, as I bet a lot of us have been behind the wheel of a car when we shouldn't have been.

But yes, you are right, the fact that we was still so far over the limit is a significant factor here. However, the accident would appear to be caused by him falling asleep, and again, I've driven tired, haven't we all.

That's how I feel. I've driven a car the next day when borderline on the alcohol limit the next day. I've driven a car tired. I've driven a car where I've been trying to change a CD and not concetrated on the road. Its very easy to go all 'Hang the bastard' when a case like this comes along but I just count myself lucky I've never been involved in anything like this.

 

[London Calling]

I'm not offering it as an excuse, there isn't an excuse.

I'm just pointing out that there is an element of hypocrasy in us all, as I bet a lot of us have been behind the wheel of a car when we shouldn't have been.

But yes, you are right, the fact that we was still so far over the limit is a significant factor here. However, the accident would appear to be caused by him falling asleep, and again, I've driven tired, haven't we all.

Is this a guilty conscience coming through?

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Right...and how exactly would that make it ok? He had 74 micrograms of alcohol at the time he killed those kids. The legal limit is 35. At that amount, that's not just driving with a bit of a hangover, that's driving while you know you're kunted. No excuse.

Not exactly kunted, 75mg, while double the limit, is a low level for most people who get pulled for Excess Alcohol, the large majority of readings being in excess of 100mg/100ml.

 

[London Calling]

That's how I feel. I've driven a car the next day when borderline on the alcohol limit the next day. I've driven a car tired. I've driven a car where I've been trying to change a CD and not concetrated on the road. Its very easy to go all 'Hang the bastard' when a case like this comes along but I just count myself lucky I've never been involved in anything like this.

I had a friend, his wife and their baby to be born killed,because the motorist was driving over 80 mph and was looking at himself unravelling the wrapper of a sweet, whilst driving along a motorway.

You're driving a vehicle on the road, the speed, the weight of the vehicle is liable to injure and maim, if not driven carefully and respectfully.

Failure to do that because " I want a sweet", being pissed, drugs or too tired are not excusable. If you're not fit enough to drive then don't.

 

[London Calling]

Not exactly kunted, 75mg, while double the limit, is a low level for most people who get pulled for Excess Alcohol, the large majority of readings being in excess of 100mg/100ml.

Go back to when he stopped drinking, he was probably ****ed or w***ered.