Sporting killers: Eight stars who went down for killing a fellow human being
Oscar Pistorius is spending his first night in jail for the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
But the Blade Runner is far from the first sports star to end up behind bars after having blood on his hands.
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Oscar Pistorius
The Olympic and Paralympic runner was convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years imprisonment for shooting and killing his girlfriend, 29-year-old law graduate and model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day 2013.
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Edmundo
Former Brazilian star Edmundo was famous for his behaviour off the football pitch, and, along with a number of other felonies, was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and manslaughter after killing three passengers in his car. The Brazilian was sentenced to a four-and-a-half year semi-open prison sentence (which would have allowed him out during the daytime to play football).
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Gavin Grant
The striker shot and killed Leon Labastide in Harlesden, North West London, back in 2004, a murder that was one of a spate of tit-for-tat shootings on the notorious Stonebridge Park Estate. Grant was not a professional footballer at the time of the killing his crime caught up with him years later, and he is currently serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 25 years.
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Luke McCormick
Goalkeeper Luke McCormick was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison for two counts of death by dangerous driving and one count of driving with excess alcohol in 2008 after he caused a car crash that killed two children.
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Lee Hughes
While playing for West Bromwich Albion in 2003, Lee Hughes lost control of his Mercedes CL55 AMG and collided with another vehicle. A passenger, Douglad Graham, was killed in the incident, whilst two others were severely injured. Hughes was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in 2004 and served three years of a six-year sentence.
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Bruce Kimball
Diver Bruce Kimball was known as ‘The Comeback Kid’ after he survived a devastating car crash with a drunk driver that left him seriously injured before going on to claim a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics. However, in 1988 Kimball killed two boys and injured four more by driving through a crowd of children, under the influence of alcohol. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison, serving five.
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Terry Underwood
NFL star Terry Underwood had what looked to be a promising career end abruptly in 1998 when he was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife, Theresa. The former running back denies any involvement after Theresa was stabbed 88 times and was sentenced to 60 years in prison. His appeals are pending.
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Warrington Phillip
West Indian Warrington Phillip was a well-decorated first-class cricketer and retired gracefully in 2000. However, Phillip’s wife was found dead in the back of her car in 2006, her throat slashed. The former cricketer was arrested for the murder and charged in 2008. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2008.
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