Mansfield Town, a third-division football club, has officially listed striker Lucas Akins on its roster for the season, despite him currently serving time in prison.
Akins was sentenced for a fatal car accident involving a cyclist in March 2022 and could make his return to the pitch as early as November.
The incident occurred when the 36-year-old Grenadian international struck 33-year-old Adrian Daniel after failing to yield at a stop sign near Huddersfield, England. At the time of the crash, Akins had his seven-month-old and seven-year-old children in the car.
Daniel succumbed to his injuries ten days later, leading to Akins’ guilty plea and subsequent 14-month prison sentence.
Lucas Akins: A Controversial Roster Decision
The victim’s widow criticized Akins for not pleading guilty sooner, expressing her hope that his family doesn’t endure the same pain she has faced since her husband’s death. “We don’t want other lives to be destroyed because of this,” she stated in court.
Despite the controversy, Akins continued to play for Mansfield throughout his trial, even starting a match just hours after his guilty plea. Club manager Nigel Clough has supported him throughout, describing the sentencing as an “incredible shock.”
Mansfield Town currently sits 11th in League One after three wins in seven matches.
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