Luke McCormick

Bigal · May 24, 2012

Former Plymouth goalkeeper Luke McCormick is set to join Swindon on trial when he is released from prison in June.

The controversial move comes almost four years after McCormick caused the deaths of brothers Arron and Ben Peak, aged 10 and eight respectively, while driving with excess alcohol in his system in a crash on the M6 in Staffordshire.

The boys' father Phil suffered a broken back and neck in the crash.

The former Pilgrims shot-stopper was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison in October 2008 after he admitted to the charge, but is set to be released after serving just half of that.

Swindon's courting of the player has left the mother of the victims distraught.

Amanda Peak told the money grabbing rag "Swindon might be a family club, but now they’re hiring a man who has torn my family apart.

“One of McCormick’s main points in his plea was that he will never play football again - that was obviously completely wrong.

“My sons loved playing football and played every day. My husband can’t even kick a ball now either - he struggles to walk."

McCormick has already been put through his paces, having trained with Swindon since January while on day-release. He will join Paolo Di Canio's squad on their pre-season tour of Italy.

Swindon chairman Jeremy Wray told BBC Wiltshire: "Our sympathy is with the family of the victims - that will never change. There's been a complete tragedy and lives have been destroyed.

"This guy has done his time in prison. He wants to come back and give something back to society. The best way we can do that is to rehabilitate, and that's the role Swindon can play. It's a benefit we've thought about in the long-term. It's going to be a big debate and I'm not frightened of it."

However, Mrs Peak, 34, is furious that McCormick has been allowed to spend his day-release time at the football club and insists that McCormick should not be allowed to play football again.

"McCormick’s been playing since January. He was meant to be on day-release doing things to put good back into the community to repay for what he has taken from us. But he is off playing football.

“It is nice to know that his life can continue where it left off and ours is stuck in a time warp.

“I have no faith in the justice system. I lost any I had when he got the sentence he did and now it is just a joke. I think Swindon should really look at the person behind the football. It doesn’t matter if he’s a good player or not. He should never be allowed to play football again.”

what do you think? I feel that she has a point that he shouldn't be using his day releases from prison to have a trial at Swindon, I think thats awful.

There is nothing to stop someone restarting their career whatever it is, once the sentence has been served, however, having trials is something else

Edited May 24, 2012 by Bigal

cymrococh · May 24, 2012

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