[Archived] Lee Hughes Jailed For 6 Years

[blue phil]

So six years is what our legal system deems a life to be worth ? So why is it we may well all be putting money in his pocket cometh the 2007/8 season ? Priorities all wrong methinks . I'm sure the Gov't is workıng on it...

Edited August 12, 2004 by blue phil

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Lee Hughes has still not offered any apology for his dreadful driving offence, according to the family of the victim, Douglas Graham.

56 year old Mr Graham died after Hughes' £100,000 Mercedes ploughed into the Renault car in which he was a passenger.

In addition to Mr Graham's death, another passenger in the Renault spent 3 months in a wheelchair after the crash.

Hughes went on the run from the police to avoid a breath test - after reportedly spending over £80 in the pub on vodkas for himself and friends before driving himself home.

Mr Graham's wife Maureen said: "Nobody can understand the huge amount of grief and stress that has been caused to my family over the last year. The person responsible for this has still not acknowledged or ever offered an apology for what he has done to my family."

Instead, officials at Coventry Crown Court have announced that the Brummie lout is going to appeal against his sentence.

A link to this story is below:

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100ne...-name_page.html

Meanwhile, as was mentioned briefly on another thread, Southampton winger Fabrice Fernandes has been sentenced to 100 hours community service for dangerous driving.

In a lesser offence to that of Lee Hughes, the 24 year old Frenchman downed five vodka and red bulls at a London nightclub before getting into his £60,000 Porsche.

Fernandes jumped several red lights while police were chasing him through the streets of London. He was found to be twice over the limit. As well as his community service, the Frenchman has been fined £10,000 for the offence.

The judge remarked that the fine was "almost meaningless" because of his £15,000 a week wages.

[Eddie]

Though 100 hours community service may well get in the way of his football when it comes to training. Punishment for those sorts of things should really be higher, he created a situation in which someone could easily have been killed, just because he, and those around him, were lucky enough for that not to happen, doesn't mean he should get off with what basically is a slap on the wrist.

[Ossyrob]

Lee Hughes has still not offered any apology for his dreadful driving offence, according to the family of the victim, Douglas Graham.

56 year old Mr Graham died after Hughes' £100,000 Mercedes ploughed into the Renault car in which he was a passenger.

In addition to Mr Graham's death, another passenger in the Renault spent 3 months in a wheelchair after the crash.

Hughes went on the run from the police to avoid a breath test - after reportedly spending over £80 in the pub on vodkas for himself and friends before driving himself home.

Mr Graham's wife Maureen said: "Nobody can understand the huge amount of grief and stress that has been caused to my family over the last year. The person responsible for this has still not acknowledged or ever offered an apology for what he has done to my family."

Instead, officials at Coventry Crown Court have announced that the Brummie lout is going to appeal against his sentence.

A link to this story is below:

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100ne...-name_page.html

Meanwhile, as was mentioned briefly on another thread, Southampton winger Fabrice Fernandes has been sentenced to 100 hours community service for dangerous driving.

In a lesser offence to that of Lee Hughes, the 24 year old Frenchman downed five vodka and red bulls at a London nightclub before getting into his £60,000 Porsche.

Fernandes jumped several red lights while police were chasing him through the streets of London. He was found to be twice over the limit. As well as his community service, the Frenchman has been fined £10,000 for the offence.

The judge remarked that the fine was "almost meaningless" because of his £15,000 a week wages.

Due to the fact that he did a runner and decides to appeal against his lenient sentence just proves what a coward the guy is.He still wont admit he was wrong and accept his pittance of a sentence.

[Ossydave]

Though 100 hours community service may well get in the way of his football when it comes to training.

Will it buggery, do you realise how many hours a footballer puts in a day?

[Ossyrob]

Though 100 hours community service may well get in the way of his football when it comes to training. Punishment for those sorts of things should really be higher, he created a situation in which someone could easily have been killed, just because he, and those around him, were lucky enough for that not to happen, doesn't mean he should get off with what basically is a slap on the wrist.

He doesnt do it all at once.He will prob do it over a year or something.Like Dave says ,im sure he will fit it in no problems and do his training and keep his nightlife

[Baz]

Meanwhile, as was mentioned briefly on another thread, Southampton winger Fabrice Fernandes has been sentenced to 100 hours community service for dangerous driving.

In a lesser offence to that of Lee Hughes, the 24 year old Frenchman downed five vodka and red bulls at a London nightclub before getting into his £60,000 Porsche.

Fernandes jumped several red lights while police were chasing him through the streets of London. He was found to be twice over the limit. As well as his community service, the Frenchman has been fined £10,000 for the offence.

The judge remarked that the fine was "almost meaningless" because of his £15,000 a week wages.

This is a real deterrent isnt it?

We should have a system similar to finland where a fine is related to that persons income. Therefore the top footballers would be less inclined to do this type of thing, and the fine would be more realistic to the person involved.

[M-K]

I wonder who's going to sign him when he's released? I mean, he was a £5m player not too long ago, he's 28, 29-ish?

He may well win an appeal, in which case he could be out midway through next season.

Of course if I was a relative of the bloke he wasted, I'd make damn sure he was never capable of playing football again, but I can see some team signing a hate figure worthy of the name...

[StaffordRover]

Though 100 hours community service may well get in the way of his football when it comes to training. Punishment for those sorts of things should really be higher, he created a situation in which someone could easily have been killed, just because he, and those around him, were lucky enough for that not to happen, doesn't mean he should get off with what basically is a slap on the wrist.

He doesnt do it all at once.He will prob do it over a year or something.Like Dave says ,im sure he will fit it in no problems and do his training and keep his nightlife

If all he received was 100 Community Punishment and a £10k fine then he must have had a damn good barrister. He was over twice the legal limit and attempted to outrun the Police. Whilst these aggravating factors may explain why he was sentenced at Crown Court as opposed to Magistrates, the actual sentence is way too lenient in my opinion (drink drive in Magistrates carries a maximum 6 months custodial sentence, hence the decision to remit it to Crown Court). The fact that he didn't kill anyone, be it pedestrian or other road user was down to good luck and nothing else. Incidentally, he will probably be credited with 7 hours for each full day he works - divide that into 100hours and you're left with the actual number of days he will be 'punished'. The Order will terminate on completion of the 100 hours. Couldn't agree more with you more Eddie

[92er]

Just reading a few of the postings here, I am surprised that no action has been taken against the pub. Presumably £80 buys a lot of vodka.

[andy82]

how old is he? one of my old schoolmates was sent down, came back a new (much harder) player and is currently ripping things up in the third division.....

[Ossyrob]

how old is he? one of my old schoolmates was sent down, came back a new (much harder) player and is currently ripping things up in the third division.....

Well hope youre proud of your mate. mate

[blue phil]

Just reading a few of the postings here, I am surprised that no action has been taken against the pub. Presumably £80 buys a lot of vodka.

You mean the pub should share the blame ? Maybe Smirnoff should have been in the dock as well ....

[thenodrog]

Just reading a few of the postings here, I am surprised that no action has been taken against the pub.

But isn't that what pubs are there for? I presume this is another daft example of the modern trend of apportioning blame to anyone but the individual concerned? Please stop trying to nail part of his misdemeanour on some poor barmaid, the @#/? has only himself to blame.

On a similar note regarding this increasingly common 'it wasn't my fault' culture, there was a picture of one of Blackburns finest dollopers in the LET about 3 weeks ago and in the accompanying article he was attempting to lay the blame for his long list of anti-social and violent crimes on cheap beer sold in off-licences ffs! 140000 people in Blackburn yet only he appears affected?!? Needless to say my mate whose step-daughter despite never having laid eyes on him before was badly beaten up by him it town shortly before the article was printed does tend to disagree on that point.

[Eddie]

People have to be held accountable for their own actions. If we want to start laying blame away from the individual we may as well give up on free will, democracy and free markets, none of those will work with that sort of mentality.

[Parasyte]

While I think Hughes is a complete nubbins (Lee, not Mark ) I can see why he hasnt apologised. No matter how guilty I was of something, I would want to avoid jail - anyone wh osays 'take it like a man' is talking crap. An apology could be seen as an admission of guilt, and wouldnt do his chances of an appeal any good. Dont get me wrong, I think he deserves longer, and should have his scrotum stapled to his eyelid with a nailgun for being a Grade A Pratt...

[benhben]

Im surprised no-one has brought this up again. Im sure we all heard the reports that Hughes has been released from his sentence about 3 years early and is being signed by Oldham Athletic. Personally I think its shocking that a man can cause another mans death, and cause immense suffering to the guys family, only to be let out within 3 years and go on to recieve more fat weekly pay packets! Shame on Oldham. 6 years is not enough for what he did, never mind three!

[Billy Castell]

So he should remain unemployed for the rest of his life?

Whilst I agree that his early release is not a good thing, I believe that people should be allowed to have a second chance and make up for past mistakes and crimes. What Hughes did was immensly stupid, and led to someone dying, but you don't know whether he's feeling overwhelmingly guilty about what he did, or whether he doesn't give a crap. Hughes should be given a chance for atoning for previous sins. It is easy to act like those bearded women who wanted to stone that bloke for saying Jehovah in The Life of Brian without knowing Lee Hughes or whoever it may be, or being in a similar situation.

And it is not like Oldham are offering £115,000 p/w or anything.

EDIT: I have just remembered that it was a hit-and-run incident. I don't what what would happen if I'd been in the position of being a drunk driver, and I hit someone. I'm guessing that Hughes fled because he wasn't thinking straight, and the shock of the incident may have triggered some sort of survival instinct as in "sh_t must leave this bad situation". I don't know, but that sense of panic may have been the reason why he fled, as much as a calculating move to try and get away with it. The only way to really know what was going through his head is to ask him. The only thing I do know is that the police station my sister works in was flooded with 'relatives' (i.e. journalists) asking whether he was being held in her station (he wasn't).

Edited June 9, 2007 by Billy Castell

[1864roverite]

Im surprised no-one has brought this up again. Im sure we all heard the reports that Hughes has been released from his sentence about 3 years early and is being signed by Oldham Athletic. Personally I think its shocking that a man can cause another mans death, and cause immense suffering to the guys family, only to be let out within 3 years and go on to recieve more fat weekly pay packets! Shame on Oldham. 6 years is not enough for what he did, never mind three!

benben, I think you need to understand the way our court system lets people down, especially victims and their families.

Hughes should in all reality have been jailed for life. Any reasonable person would expect and accept that sort of punishment as just. In USA and other countries, you can bet without a shadow of doubt that Hughes would not have spent less than 25 yrs in jail.

Here in good old UK, we have do gooders and the PC brigade who fight for prisoners rights, no matter what the crime they committ. The authorities accept them and bow down to their every whim, I have witnessed unbelievable decisions in how the courts accept stories and excuses from the accused without a flicker of an eye, whereas when a witness or aggrieved turn up late they are heavily criticised or their cases thrown out !

Hughes gets lucky twice over. He was rich before he went inside and he will earn a considerable amount of money when he comes out of jail, more than the avergae job even with Oldham. The poor victims family just get more suffering as they will no doubt see his name in the media, see his spotted gingernutted face in the papers and tv and will get reminded of the experiences they suffered as they strove to get justice for their decimated family.

This countries laws SUCK.

[modes98]

Im sure we all heard the reports that Hughes has been released from his sentence about 3 years early and is being signed by Oldham Athletic. Personally I think its shocking that a man can cause another mans death, and cause immense suffering to the guys family, only to be let out within 3 years and go on to recieve more fat weekly pay packets!

Shame on Oldham.

Serving half your sentence is common practice, if you have reformed and he has been quiet whilst inside.

People who cause deaths can't be locked away forever or rejected by society simply because of 1 mistake and by all accounts thats what it was. Everybody deserves a second chance, even footballers!

As for oldham, what have you got against them? It makes good business for them to get an ultra fit and bulker up player to help them on what will be a reduced wage. If you couldn't employ crooks then Barton would be for it.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

People who cause deaths can't be locked away forever or rejected by society simply because of 1 mistake and by all accounts thats what it was.Everybody deserves a second chance , even footballers!

Sadly the innocent victims of mindless violence and drink driving never get that second chance in life.

[benhben]

So he should remain unemployed for the rest of his life?

I believe that people should be allowed to have a second chance and make up for past mistakes and crimes.

I believe people should serve their sentence. Crime is getting easy nowadays, troublemakers know that any punishment they deserve and recieve will more than likely be halved or more.

[Hasta]

Lee Hughes should have served a hell of a lot longer in jail without doubt. However, once a man is freed he should , within reason, be allowed to coninue working like anyone else. He's done his time and completed his punishment.

If Lee Hughes is now officially 'free' then he should be allowed to continue working, be it as a butcher, a baker or footballer.

[mrsjansen]

If he had a drink driving convivtion at 18, then did it again where he killed someone, left the scene of an accident, and as yet never apologised and shown no remorse..........I think he has had his second chance.

[92er]

Lee Hughes should have served a hell of a lot longer in jail without doubt. However, once a man is freed he should , within reason, be allowed to coninue working like anyone else. He's done his time and completed his punishment.

If Lee Hughes is now officially 'free' then he should be allowed to continue working, be it as a butcher, a baker or footballer.

I have been told by an Oldham fan that Hughes will not be released till September.