Luke McCormick

[leefer]

As i said Jan its a very tricky one....and one thats got no easy answers really.
On a different note i heard yesterday that 9,224 people died on our roads last year alone thats a shocking stat really.

[magicroundabout]

DeJa Vu 

i said to myself you'd quote over 9k people being killed etc before i opend the post!!!!

unless you've quoted this before on another thread about drink driving!!!!??

[Batch]

I saw that program and yes, I had some sympathy with the driver and it was harrowing to watch.

But I find myself looking more from the victims viewpoint than through the guilty parties eyes. The driver has killed a husband, a mum and kid through his own negligence. 4 years doesn't seem too soft.

[leefer]

Probably have Magic...ime getting old and keep repeating myself!

[leefer]

Probably have magic, ime getting old and keep repeating myself!

[Jamiesfuturewife]

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.

I completey agree after watching that programme last night
which was bloody depressing

[janaage]

But when you hear the words of the wife (widow) I think her viewpoint, whilst remarkable at the time, is so true.  That lorry driver went to work to do a job, there was no intention on his behalf.  He had not sped, he had not driven illegal hours, he was just driving to his destination.  Yes he lacked attention for a second or two and the rest is history.

Her words were amazing, poor lady.

The same can not be said of people who make a decision to get in a car when they know they shouldn't and that's why the law is an arse.

[Colin Todd]

Agree Janaage.

I cant think of another scenario where someone is punished by 4 years in jail for a spilt second lack of concentration or moment of madness.

The difference between that and driving whilst over the DD limit and tired is huge, and is not really reflected in the sentances we are talking about.

[janaage]

McCormick was quoted yesterday as saying "I am so sorry, I'm sorry.  I just fell asleep.  I fell asleep, I'm sorry".  That's wrong to me, he should have apologised for drink driving, not blaming it on falling asleep, especially as he fell asleep for a reason.  I'd be savage if that involved my family.

[Jamiesfuturewife]

If I ever lost someone in that way - and I hope to god that nevers happens - I hope that I can have dignity and not be full of hate like the lady whos husband was killed by that lorry driver on that programme last night - not like those people with bad earring waving pictures outside the court on the Mccormick case.

[DiV]

I knew a guy, he was a friend of a friend that got killed by a drunk driver over wroughton way must be nearly 3 years now.

The guy who hit him had no insurnace, no license and was well over the limit. He also died in the crash.

Never been sure if thats justic or not. I guess two wrongs dont make a right but having the innocent person die and the guilty partly live is....I dunno doesnt seem right

[Simon Pieman]

McCormick was quoted yesterday as saying "I am so sorry, I'm sorry.  I just fell asleep.  I fell asleep, I'm sorry".  That's wrong to me, he should have apologised for drink driving, not blaming it on falling asleep, especially as he fell asleep for a reason.  I'd be savage if that involved my family.

He fell asleep because he had 2 hours sleep after being out all day. He shouldn't have been in the car for that alone, he shouldn't have been in the car for being over the limit and he shouldn't have been going at 90mph. All of those things are wrong, I don't see how you should pinpoint it on one of those things and not the other.

McCormick obviously felt it was his tiredness which led him to the accident. That's why he said that. That does not mean it was the root cause of the accident and it does not mean that he was trying to cover up for the other things (speeding and drink driving).

[flammableBen]

I get really uneasy about the mass calls for harsher punishment when stuff like this happens. I don't know why people are so desperate to punish someone they don't really know or have never met for a crime they weren't involved in with victims they didn't know.

If you look the reasons for a prison sentence, then the punishment side has got to be the least important aspect, behind protecting the public and a deterrent. I doubt the bloke is a risk to the public so the first one is out the window, and not many people are going to think "I wouldn't risk drink driving but that dude only got sentenced to....".

The blokes actions killed two children, who will never get their lives back, however much you punish Luke McCormick. I might just be young, but even if he just served half then 3years 8months is still a long time. Not compared to the value of the lives of the two children, but then what's gained by ruining another persons life even more? He'll have a lot of consequences he'll have to personally work through, including his prison sentence.

What would keeping him in prison for a decade, two decades, etc. really achieve? It might go some way to quench the public lust for retribution, but not much more.

[janaage]

He fell asleep because he had 2 hours sleep after being out all day. He shouldn't have been in the car for that alone, he shouldn't have been in the car for being over the limit and he shouldn't have been going at 90mph. All of those things are wrong, I don't see how you should pinpoint it on one of those things and not the other.

McCormick obviously felt it was his tiredness which led him to the accident. That's why he said that. That does not mean it was the root cause of the accident and it does not mean that he was trying to cover up for the other things (speeding and drink driving).

That's kind of my point Si (I am aware of what he'd been up to prior to the crash, just didn't see the point of repeating all that).  I just do not think he should have said "I just fell asleep" as he didn't just fall asleep, an array of things led to what happened, as you've pointed out, and for him to say "I'm sorry, I just feel asleep" is wrong.

[Colin Todd]

I get really uneasy about the mass calls for harsher punishment when stuff like this happens. I don't know why people are so desperate to punish someone they don't really know or have never met for a crime they weren't involved in with victims they didn't know.

If you look the reasons for a prison sentence, then the punishment side has got to be the least important aspect, behind protecting the public and a deterrent. I doubt the bloke is a risk to the public so the first one is out the window, and not many people are going to think "I wouldn't risk drink driving but that dude only got sentenced to....".

The blokes actions killed two children, who will never get their lives back, however much you punish Luke McCormick. I might just be young, but even if he just served half then 3years 8months is still a long time. Not compared to the value of the lives of the two children, but then what's gained by ruining another persons life even more? He'll have a lot of consequences he'll have to personally work through, including his prison sentence.

What would keeping him in prison for a decade, two decades, etc. really achieve? It might go some way to quench the public lust for retribution, but not much more.

Your view seems to basically be that there's no point in punishing anyone harshly for anything as long as they do not pose a threat to society?

Although in some ways I sort of agree there isnt much point in putting some offenders away for decades just for the sake of it, it does not actually achieve anything . 

But letting someone out to get on with their life after 3 years 8 months who through his own irresponsible behavior has killed 2 people, serverly diasbled another as well as the wider emotional damage to friends and family of the affected couple is simply not fair. McCormack is a young man himself, he'd only be 28 if he served half his sentance.

Perhaps let him out but give him a randomly timed beating every couple of months?