PHIL Brown ‘hopes and prays’ that Swindon Town fans will support trialist goalkeeper Luke McCormick should a move to the County Ground materialise.

McCormick was sentenced to seven years and four months’ imprisonment in 2008 after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and being twice over the drink-drive limit.

The now 34-year-old crashed his Range Rover into the back of a Toyota Previa on the M6 – resulting in the deaths of Arron and Ben Peak, aged 10 and eight.

McCormick, who was released in 2012, has been on Town's radar before, having had a trial in Wiltshire shortly afterwards, although he was subsequently not offered a contract.

He then rebuilt his career with non-league Truro City, then Oxford United before rejoining Plymouth Argyle, for whom he had made nearly 150 appearances prior to his conviction, in 2013.

He went on to make a further 168 appearances and was named club captain in 2014-15 and was released by Argyle at the end of last season.

While Brown stated the incident should never be forgotten or overlooked, the Town boss wants supporters to back the Coventry-born keeper should he agree to play at the County Ground.

Brown said: “I hope and pray that supporters will allow the mistake that he made – and he knows all about and I know all about it – to be not overlooked, but he has served his time.

“We’ll support him as much as we can do if he decides to join us.

“He knows that, and I hope people will accept it.”

Should McCormick agree to sign up to Town’s League Two campaign, he would be Town’s back up option behind the returning Lawrence Vigouroux – who spent last season on loan at Waterford.

Having made more than 300 appearances for Argyle during his two stints at the club, McCormick would be expected to push Vigouroux to become the best goalkeeper in the division – according to Brown.

He said: “If Lawrence gets pushed hard enough so he becomes the best goalkeeper in the division, then Luke has done his job.

“I’ve got to sit down with everybody and talk to them to see if we can afford to do what we want to do.

“I think it would be a stepping stone going forward to have someone of Luke’s experience agree to join us.”