[RedForceRising]

McCormick jailed for seven years
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/sto...252634,00.html


Former Plymouth goalkeeper Luke McCormick has been jailed for seven years and four months after causing the deaths of two young boys.



Arron Peak, 10, and his brother Ben, eight, were on a dream day out when McCormick ploughed into their car in his black Range Rover.

McCormick, who was more than twice the drink drive limit as he drove home from a team-mate's wedding, finally admitted causing death by dangerous driving when he appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Monday morning.

The 25-year-old also admitted a charge of driving with excess alcohol.

The brothers, from Partington in Manchester, were travelling along the M6 in Staffordshire when the crash happened shortly before 5.45am on June 7.

They were on their way to Silverstone racetrack for a day out with their father Phil Peak and three friends when their Toyota Previa people carrier was hit.

Mr Peak, 37, was at the wheel of the Toyota and was seriously injured in the crash.

The boys' mother, Amanda Peak, sobbed loudly as the court heard details of the crash.

McCormick, dressed in a dark suit, kept his head bowed and covered his face with his hand as it was revealed he told eyewitnesses at the scene: "I am so sorry, I'm sorry. I just fell asleep. I fell asleep, I'm sorry.''

Prior to the collision, other motorists noticed McCormick "driving like an idiot'' and estimated his speed at around 90mph, the court heard.

After the crash, he 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.

Coventry-born McCormick, who was confronted by angry relatives of Ben and Arron when he arrived at court, is a former England youth international and was twice voted Argyle's young player of the season.

His contract with Argyle was cancelled by mutual consent'' a month after the crash.

In a victim statement submitted to the judge, Mr and Mrs Peak, told how their lives had been "totally devastated'' by the deaths of their only children.

The couple wrote: "Our whole lives have been shattered. All our hopes and dreams for the future have been taken away from us.''

The court heard that McCormick sobbed "uncontrollably'' at the police station

after his arrest.

John Jones, defending, said McCormick had become introverted and suffered from nightmares and flashbacks of the crash.

He said: "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 and indeed lost forever.

"The Luke McCormick who appears before you today is a shadow of his former self.''

Judge Paul Glenn jailed McCormick for seven years and four months.

The maximum penalty is 14 years.

McCormick could have admitted the offences at a previous hearing but chose not to, forcing Ben and Arron's family to return to court on Monday.

[Blade]

They should throw away the key for scum like him. Getting in a car while drunk is no
different than carrying a loaded gun in my opinion. Drunk drivers should be charged
with murder if they hit someone.

[reddwarf]

Originally Posted by Blade

Drunk drivers should be charged with murder if they hit someone.

Manslaughter surely?

It was not pre-meditated and he did not wilfully kill the 2 lads. The guy is beyond stupid to have got behind the wheel when under the influence but I wouldn't put him in the same bracket as a murderer.

[Blade]

Originally Posted by reddwarf

Manslaughter surely?

It was not pre-meditated and he did not wilfully kill the 2 lads. The guy is beyond stupid to have got behind the wheel when under the influence but I wouldn't put him in the same bracket as a murderer.

If I get drunk and shoot someone it's murder. It should be the same for drink drivers. They are one of the lowest forms of life on Earth, in fact the only people I would place lower are paedophiles and rapists.

[reddwarf]

Originally Posted by Blade

If I get drunk and shoot someone it's murder. It should be the same for drink drivers. They are one of the lowest forms of life on Earth, in fact the only people I would place lower are paedophiles and rapists.

Fair enough Blade.

However, my thoughts on this are that if I get drunk, play around with a loaded gun, it goes off by accident and kills someone then I would be charged with manslaughter. That is the same as getting drunk, getting behind the wheel and accidentally running someone over imo.

If I get hammered and go on a shooting spree then that's the same as getting hammered and going out mowing down pedestrians GTA style.

[ellifergs]

Originally Posted by reddwarf

Fair enough Blade.

However, my thoughts on this are that if I get drunk, play around with a loaded gun, it goes off by accident and kills someone then I would be charged with manslaughter. That is the same as getting drunk, getting behind the wheel and accidentally running someone over imo.

If I get hammered and go on a shooting spree then that's the same as getting hammered and going out mowing down pedestrians GTA style.

When you get behind the wheel while under the influence you don't do so accidentally, you chose to commit an illegal act which can result in death and injury therefore I would have to agree with Blade that a murder charge would be in order.

[red lady]

Originally Posted by reddwarf

Manslaughter surely?

It was not pre-meditated and he did not wilfully kill the 2 lads. The guy is beyond stupid to have got behind the wheel when under the influence but I wouldn't put him in the same bracket as a murderer.

if you drink and drive,odds on you are likely to have some type of accident,lucky if you don't. that moron knew he was three sheets gone,but drove anyway,just as a nutter with a gun goes on a rampage.those little babes,will never have any life ,nor will their family.so yep he should have been done for murder,if he hadn't driven he wouldn't have killed them. so he willingly put people's lives at risk.i'd defo put him in the same bracket as a murderer.

[reddwarf]

My opinion is that a murderer is someone who makes a choice to kill someone - whether that is pre-meditated or in a moment of rage. McCormick did not make the choice to kill those two boys.

Is someone who drives when tired, falls asleep at the wheel and ends up killing someone a murderer too?

[spellbound]

Now were talking about details.
The big picture here is that its a tragedy for everyone involved. But McCormick decided to drive the car and he have to face the punishment...
What worries me is the players who drunk drives ,get caught but not killed or injured anyone just say 'Im sorry' and then the next day they are back on the pitch (Carlton Cole). Clubs are too coward these days and this sends out signals to the younger generations that its not a big deal to drive under influence.
There are not just English footballer who do this....there's too many of them.

There's a case of a vice team captain who was stopped and found drunk while driving but the club let him play the next game. What makes me so mad at this is this club have one of the best and biggest youth sections.
This is in Sweden and its ice hockey if you wonder.

[red lady]

Originally Posted by reddwarf

My opinion is that a murderer is someone who makes a choice to kill someone - whether that is pre-meditated or in a moment of rage. McCormick did not make the choice to kill those two boys.

Is someone who drives when tired, falls asleep at the wheel and ends up killing someone a murderer too?

this fella ,like all drinkers know full well,that drinking and driving is wrong.he knew what he was doing when he got in that car.he knew he'd been drinking.so yes reddwarf i think that he should be done for murder,cause although he never made the choice to kill those two babes,he made the choice to drink and drive, and in doing so took their lives,sorry but too many high profile people get off lightly cause of their status.i feel so strongly about this...