Mansfield Town's Lucas Akins jailed for causing cyclist's death
A professional footballer has been jailed for 14 months for causing the death of a cyclist in a crash in West Yorkshire.Adrian Daniel, 33, died 10 days after he was struck by a Mercedes G350 being driven by Mansfield Town striker Lucas Akins, near Huddersfield in March 2022.Akins, 36, of Heys Road in Thongsbridge, Holmfirth, was jailed at Leeds Crown Court having previously pleaded guilty to causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.In a victim impact statement, Mr Daniel's wife, Savanna, said his death had been "like hell - the nightmare I'll never wake up from."
Mrs Daniel added: "He was a great father, son and husband and his legacy will always be to live life to the full."Mr Daniel, from Meltham, was cycling along Huddersfield Road in Netherton on 17 March when he was collided with Mr Akins' vehicle as the footballer pulled out in front of him at the junction with Crosland Factory Lane.The court heard the crash was captured on Mr Daniel's helmet camera, and that he was not breaking the speed limit on his bike and had adopted an appropriate position in the middle of the lane. Judge Alex Menary said Akins, whose previous clubs include Huddersfield Town and Burton Albion, did not check left and right before pulling out.Had he paused for more time it would have allowed Mr Daniel to travel through any blind spot, the judge added.Akins, who showed no emotion as he was sentenced, was also banned from driving for 12 months.In a statement, Mansfield Town said it was "considering its position with regards to Lucas".
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Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
How a drug theft sparked bloody gangland war between Daniels and Lyons
Decades of gangland war between the two families began with a cocaine theft in 2001. It was the summer of 2001 and Tony Blair had just won a second term in government for Labour. The movie version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was about to be released and The Life of Pi was the year's best-selling book. Over in the tough Milton housing scheme in Glasgow a plot of a different kind was unfolding. A large stash of cocaine worth about £20,000 belonging to the feared Daniel crime family had been stolen from a safe house on the estate that summer. It had gone missing at a house party at the address. The coke, unsurprisingly, was not returned or paid for. The Daniel family then learned the drugs had either been sold to or appropriated by a rival organised crime group, the Lyons. At the time both were battling for control of the drugs trade on the north side of the city. Head of the Daniel family was the formidable Jamie Daniel, one of four brothers from the city's Possilpark. On the other side the Lyons were led by Eddie Lyons snr. He ran a community centre called Chirnsyde in Milton. It was claimed a group based there called the Club Boys – which included his son Steven – had orchestrated the theft. In the organised crime world a drugs debt, no matter how small, must be paid. Failure to do so can result in a loss of face. Jamie Daniel knew that. A wave of attacks by the Daniels followed as they fought to maintain their control of the area's drugs trade. The response was orchestrated by 24-year-old Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll – an up-and-coming figure in the Daniel clan close to Jamie Daniel and in a relationship with his daughter Kelly. First, the Daniel crew tried to shoot Steven Lyons outside a pub in Lambhill, Glasgow, in September 2001 – but the gunman missed. They then turned their attention to the Chirnsyde centre. It was torched causing £30,000 of damage and had its minibus trashed. Carroll was in turn blasted twice in the leg with a sawn-off shotgun outside his mum's house in Milton in January 2003 but survived. Just 11 days later, Eddie Lyons's brother Johnny, 49, was shot outside his home in nearby Stornoway Street. The wallet in his back pocket took the impact and the doctors think that may have saved him. In April 2006, as the feud continued, Carroll drove to Cumbernauld where he blasted another of Lyons's sons, Eddie Lyons jnr, at his door but failed to kill him. Then in November that year, Carroll allegedly used a tow rope to topple the headstone of Eddie snr's late son Garry, who was only eight when he died of leukaemia in 1991. The desecration of his grave marked a new low in the escalating conflict. Carroll had crossed a line but was still not satisfied. Two days later he ambushed and attempted to shoot Eddie Lyons jnr for a second time, in Bellshill, Lanarkshire. Lyons suffered minor injuries when his own car rolled over him. A henchman was hit with at least one round but survived. Eight days later the Lyons struck back when Carroll was shot along with close associate Ross Sherlock in Clelland Avenue, a residential street in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow. Carroll suffered serious injuries as he was hit in the stomach from close range. Sherlock was hit in the legs. The violence culminated in one of the most brazen murders the city had ever seen. On Wednesday, December 6, 2006, a blue Mazda car drew up outside Applerow Motors in Balmore Road, Lambhill, shortly after 2pm. The garage was owned by David Lyons, brother of Eddie snr, and was operated by both him and his nephew Mark. Two men in black overcoats and 'old men' face masks and brandishing handguns got out and opened fire in what was later described in court as being like a scene from The Godfather. Eleven shots were fired, leaving mechanic Michael Lyons dead, and his cousin Steven Lyons and Lyons associate Robert Pickett, 41, seriously injured. 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Ironically the school was to be the venue for a public meeting for people to air their growing fears about rising crime and gangland violence in the area. Already concerns had been raised about the role of the Lyons in the running of Chirnsyde and the £1.4million in taxpayers' cash it had received over the years. The murderous events would lead to the closure of the centre and funding finally being withdrawn. High levels of security were put in place throughout the trial which finished in May 2008. The case was heard in court No3 – which has been designed for terrorist accused – and people entering had to pass through a metal detector and police checks. Both Anderson and McDonald were convicted of illegal possession of guns and ammunition, the attempted murder of Steven Lyons and Robert Pickett, and Michael Lyons's murder. They had been heard in secret conversations taped by police talking about the 'piper' mentioned in the letter sent to David Lyons. 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BBC News
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Surrey men fined after Lincolnshire hare coursing incident
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BBC News
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