Update: Footballer McCormick jailed for M6 deaths
GOALKEEPER Luke McCormick has been jailed for seven years and four months for causing the deaths of two children by dangerous driving.
The 25-year-old, who used to play for Plymouth Argyle Football Club, pleaded guilty to the charge earlier today. He also admitted a charge of driving with excess alcohol.
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Footballer McCormick attacked outside court this morning
McCormick has also been disqualified from driving for four years.
McCormick with his solicitor
McCormick entered his pleas at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court with his victims’ parents and relatives in the court room. Judge Paul Glenn told him: “A custodial sentence is inevitable.”
The court heard that when breathalysed, McCormick 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.
McCormick’s pleas related to a crash on the M6 between junctions 15 and 16, on Saturday, June 7 in which 10-year-old Arron Peak and his brother Benjamin, aged eight, were killed.
The boys, from Partington, Manchester, were on their way to the Silverstone racetrack for a day out.
Members of the victim’s family waited outside court
The Toyota Previa people carrier they were travelling in with their father and three friends was in collision with a black Range Rover shortly before 5.45am.
The boys’ father, Phil Peak, aged 37, who was at the wheel of the Toyota, was left seriously injured. He suffered a suspected broken neck and back in the crash and was treated at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.
He was also at the court today, wearing a brace as a result of his injuries. He was accompanied by his wife and the boys’ mother, Amanda Peak, aged 30.
McCormick was verbally abused by the victim's family as he arrived at court
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by Warren, Stoke on Trent
Monday, October 06 2008, 2:10PM
“ST... Its nice to hear folk think like that. I have posted about zero tolerance meny times before, it would be a fine move. What I'am saying in my first post is that this lad as only got what another person would get behaveing the same way. That he is a footballer playing for, frankly a team most non football fans would nerer have known exsistted, will not make him a scapegote. He will do his time and will always be hurnted by what he did, hopefully.”
by Tom, Bignall End
Monday, October 06 2008, 2:04PM
“ST & N, does McCormick's crime warrant the same punishment as someone who simply murdered two children in cold blood? The fact of the matter is, there is no right or wrong answer, but we live in a country where we must trust our judicial system, no matter how incompetent it often appears. No one on this site has the right to sentence McCormick to a punishment that they deem fitting. I feel very sorry for the family of the children and I dont feel sorry for the driver at all, but people in this city often find it very easy to pass judgement without thinking rationally.”
by ST, Stoke
Monday, October 06 2008, 1:51PM
“N, well said - Im sure if it was Tom or Warren's kids that were killed, they would feel differently. I spend enough time every day on the motorway to be genuinely fearful for the actions of drunken idiots on our roads. In my opinion there should be zero tolerance for drinking and driving, Life is too precious,”
by N, Hanley
Monday, October 06 2008, 1:44PM
“Tom-you say McCormack didn't intentionally 'kill' someone,that was probably the last thing on his mind but the moment you take to the wheel when you are over the limit you are putting other road users lives in danger,if you are unsure as to your physical state to drive safely you don't drive,simple.To do so results in what we've seen today.McCormack can rot in hell for his stupidity,if he was more sensible the 2 Peak lads would still be here today.As a father of 2 young daughters I can barely imagine what the parents must feel like,they will have this grief for the rest of their lives because McCormack didn't care.”
by Tom, Bignall End
Monday, October 06 2008, 1:36PM
“What I'm saying is wht price do you put on a life. He did not intentionally go out to kill two kids no matter how stupid he was. You can not compare this type of death to someone murdered with intent. People need to be a little more broad minded and have a little more trust in our judicial system in these type of cases.”