Prison doors (Photo credit: rytc)
In 2008 Luke McCormick was jailed for over seven years because he had killed two children and injured three other people in a car accident. He was drunk from a colleague’s wedding.
This whole scenario, I think we can agree, is Bad News All Round. I think we’ll also agree that it was All His Fault.
Anyway, after having behaved himself in prison it turns out he’s been released, and will be trialled by Swindon Town with a view to continuing his career as a professional goalkeeper.
Well, what do you think? Is this More Bad News?
Maybe it’s ok. He’s done the time so deserves to be reinstated. Perhaps four years doesn’t seem much for having killed two people, but that’s the judge’s call.
Or maybe it’s not ok. This is probably the side most people would land on simply because of the fact that he could be earning hundreds of thousands of pounds per week.
This perspective is highlighted nicely by Daniel Taylor:
Money is one thing, however; being in the public eye is something entirely different, and this is when the moral argument about rehabilitation takes a different slant and it is easier to understand the outcry.
Imagine, for example, how the parents of Arron and Ben Peak would feel turning on the television and seeing McCormick back in the football bubble, with all its perks and advantages. Or opening the newspapers and seeing him lauded for his achievements.
Is it surprising that something in us instinctively has a problem with people who have done bad stuff ‘being rewarded’?
Thank God that our eternal rewards (and punishments) will be perfectly matched to our hearts, thoughts, words and deeds.
If you checked your facts the police later stated that the reports were incorrect and McCormick did have insurance, if he was not a footballer the media would not continue to keep bringing it up because it would be of no benefit to them.
Hi Alan – thanks for correcting me, I’ve updated the post. I’m not sure where the media comes into it but am interested to hear your opinion – is it ok that he has the opportunity to return to a footballer’s lifestyle, or do you feel he’s effectively blown his chance?
my point is that this had happened to a person that was not a footballer the media (mostly the Sun) would not keep bringing it up to sell a few newspapers, the papers do not care how the boys family are or how they are getting over the terrible loss but now he has served his prison sentence has he not the same rights as you and me to work at his given profession which is professional football to earn a living, would the people who disagree rather he just went unemployed for the rest of his working life (almost 40 years) and they had to basically pay him to do nothing. On past history I think that someone will eventually give him the chance to get back into football because they will get a player that was considered to be one of the best young English goalkeepers on the cheap.
Ah, but that’s the point. An ex-convict working hard to secure a position as a cashier at Tesco is an example of a reformed life, but an ex-convict walking into a highly-paid glamorous job…that raises eyebrows. As I said in my post I’m firmly on the fence on this one, but I’m assuming from your response that you think it would be fair for him to return to professional football?