Luke McCormick

[DMR]

the fact is they when hes released he has served his time and is free to play football or do what ever he wants to do as he is a free man, what really needs addressing is how can they possibly jail him for only 3 years for killing 2 young boys?

Spot on.

[Samdy Gray]

the fact is they when hes released he has served his time and is free to play football or do what ever he wants to do as he is a free man, what really needs addressing is how can they possibly jail him for only 3 years for killing 2 young boys?

I actually find myself agreeing with you for once.

I hate the way the press have been all over this story (particularly The Sun this morning) saying it's a great injustice that McCormick will only serve just over 3 and a half years and making out that it's all his fault.

As for McCormick's sentence, I think the full sentence of 7 years 4 months is just and would be more than adequate for his crime. What the press really need to be looking that at and basing their stories on is the whole criminal justice system. It's not McCormick's, or any other convicted criminal's fault, that the criminal justice system is a complete joke and that prisoners very often now only serve half of their given sentence.

[dell boy]

Not sure how I sit on this one knowing I have driven whilst over the limit in my life and with considerably more than McCormick had in his system but never at the speed he was driving.
You can still kill at 30mph, but an impact at the speed he was driving was always likely to be a fatal accident.
With all the wrongs that McCormick made/did on that day he can not be responsible for the low sentence he has been given out by the justice system, that is the sentence stipulated by law.
It doesn't matter what you say to the parents of those two boys their lifes will take a lot longer than just a few years of the jail sentence McCormick has to ever be right again.

Community service might be the best soltion for McCormick and give something back to the community (if they will have him) and some self respect, because as sure as eggs are eggs he will not receive any respect from joe public for the rest of his life.

[janaage]

Did anyone see that BBC motorway programme last night, the one with the lorry that killed three people by not seeing the traffic stop in front of him.  He wasn't speeding, he just didn't see the cars stop (they were queuing for the M18).

He got 4 years for death by dangerous driving, I can't believe that McCormack can go out on th episs drive erratically and kill and only get 3 extra years.  The poor lorry driver looked devestated the moment he was told by the copper what had happened. 

One of the family's of the deceased wanted a longer punishment, but the wife of one of the deceased wanted a lesser punishment as the lorry driver had to live with his mistake for the rest of his life.

[Summerof69]

I actually find myself agreeing with you for once.

I hate the way the press have been all over this story (particularly The Sun this morning) saying it's a great injustice that McCormick will only serve just over 3 and a half years and making out that it's all his fault.

As for McCormick's sentence, I think the full sentence of 7 years 4 months is just and would be more than adequate for his crime. What the press really need to be looking that at and basing their stories on is the whole criminal justice system. It's not McCormick's, or any other convicted criminal's fault, that the criminal justice system is a complete joke and that prisoners very often now only serve half of their given sentence.

Fully agree Sam.

And before you know it he'll be in a open prison which is virtually like a holiday camp.

[Ardiles]

While I sometimes agree with the sentiment that prison sentences should be longer, the practical consequences would not allow it.  A doubling (for example) of prison sentences would lead to a doubling of the prison population - and there are many reasons, practically speaking, why that would not work.

[Batch]

the criminal justice system is a complete joke and that prisoners very often now only serve half of their given sentence.

Agreed, and when Judges are being directed to hand out non-custodial sentences on certain crimes due to "prison overcrowding" you know the justice system is pretty fucked.

I don''t subscribe to the rehabilitation is better than punishment argument. Clearly if (for eg) a burglar has been caught for the 27th time, locking up for 10 years means he will not cause further misery for those 10 years. After then, if he re-offends lock him up for 20 years.

We are far to namby pamby.

[herthab]

As someone else has already said it's not just the prison sentence he has to serve.

We all make mistakes and most of us are lucky enough to get away with them.

McCormick made a stupid, unforgivable mistake and will have to live with the realisation that he killed two children for the rest of his life. I for one don't think he's got away easy.....

[magicroundabout]

Did anyone see that BBC motorway programme last night, the one with the lorry that killed three people by not seeing the traffic stop in front of him.  He wasn't speeding, he just didn't see the cars stop (they were queuing for the M18).

He got 4 years for death by dangerous driving, I can't believe that McCormack can go out on th episs drive erratically and kill and only get 3 extra years.  The poor lorry driver looked devestated the moment he was told by the copper what had happened. 

One of the family's of the deceased wanted a longer punishment, but the wife of one of the deceased wanted a lesser punishment as the lorry driver had to live with his mistake for the rest of his life.

yes i saw this last night. It actually moved me when seeing the lorry drivers face and then hearing from the relatives of the deceased. Brings it home big time when driving on the roads.
As the mans wife said he never set out to kill anyone and therfore would live with it for the rest of his life.

Where as McCormick was pissed and drove. Therfore he set out to kill someone. Because if he wasn't he wouldn't have fallen asleep and his concentration would have been higher. Thats my view on it and he deserves a much longer sentance.

[leefer]

Lifes a game of roulette,sometimes lifes unfair and the rules we set down are unfair in some cases we may think the sentence is too long or too short
IE a 77 year old granny gets 13 years for importing heroin yet you can kill two kids while driving drunk and get half that.
Ime not making a judgement ime just saying what alot of people think and thats the rules and sentences are not right in this country.
This goalkeeper should be supervised in the community and made to do his pennance by working in an enviroment ware he has caused so much distress.
Obviously some people are nasty and prison is the only answer but is prison the answer in this case?
It just depends on how you look at it ....if i was the kids father i would probably want him hung!

[janaage]

I agree Magic, I found that very hard hitting that moment when the driver closed his eyes and put his head back, you could see exactly what was going through that blokes mind.

I was astonished that he got 4 years for that, (and a 6 year driving ban) especially when you see the high speed chases that some kids get themselves involved in through residential areas where they're given a suspended sentence and a year ban.  It's all wrong, yes that lorry driver made a mistake, maybe he was changing his radio station, cd, maybe he yawned who knows, but 6 years ban, 4 years inside and a lifetime of guilt is far too heavy a punishment imo.

[leefer]

Ime a lorry driver Jan...felt for him but you cant have judges making sentencing decisions on what they think about the individual in serious cases like that ..thats why they have guidlines.
Its different for more minor cases and magistrates can use disgression.
Thats not always a good thing and many a time soft touch magistrates let people out on bail when its obvious they should be locked up.

[magicroundabout]

I agree Magic, I found that very hard hitting that moment when the driver closed his eyes and put his head back, you could see exactly what was going through that blokes mind.

I was astonished that he got 4 years for that, (and a 6 year driving ban) especially when you see the high speed chases that some kids get themselves involved in through residential areas where they're given a suspended sentence and a year ban.  It's all wrong, yes that lorry driver made a mistake, maybe he was changing his radio station, cd, maybe he yawned who knows, but 6 years ban, 4 years inside and a lifetime of guilt is far too heavy a punishment imo.

even sneezing can make you close your eyes for a second which in that time your 200 yards down the road.
I thought he was hit really hard with his punishment and didn't deserve the ban/sentance he got but then again what would have been fair?!

it's a tough one to call on what is a fair sentance. killing through drink driving deserves a higher sentance IMO. I had a friend who killed a bloke through drink driving and she only served just short of 2 years. When she came out i had a chat in the local with her and the guilt on her face for what she'd done was very clear to see and she even agreed she deserved to be in longer for what she'd done.

[janaage]

But Leefer I would argue that that wasn't death by dangerous driving, it was death through driving without due care and attention (if there is such a thing).  I'm not talking about individual cases I think the whole system is wrong to a certain extent.

Someone who gets in a car and speeds, or drives whilst under the influence has taken a decision to do that, that is dangerous driving, not for a second seeing a car in front of you stop, that is by definition an accident.

[magicroundabout]

Agreed Jan