Mansfield Town releases a statement on player Lucas Akins who has been given a prison sentence for causing the death of a cyclist.
The sentence relates to an incident in March 2022, with Adrian Daniel, 33, dying 10 days after being hit by the Mercedes of 36 year old Lucas Akins.
The footballer has been sentenced to 14 months in prison following a hearing. He will serve half the sentence in custody before being released on licence, and has been handed a one-year driving ban.
The club said in a statement on Thursday: “Mansfield Town Football Club acknowledges today’s decision by Leeds Crown Court concerning Lucas Akins following a tragic road traffic accident in March 2022.
“Mansfield Town Football Club offers its sincere and deepest condolences to the family of Adrian Daniel at this difficult time.
“The club is considering its position with regards to Lucas and will be making no further comment at this stage.”
Former Huddersfield Town footballer Lucas Akins will be sentenced this afternoon for causing the death of cyclist Adrian Daniel. Updates live from myself and @lyraauld direct from courthttps://t.co/xKvlEOSb5i
— Sophie Corcoran (@sophcorcoran) April 24, 2025
Yorkshire Live reported on what was being said in Leeds Crown Court:
Carmel Pearson, for the prosecution, said Akins had no previous convictions or cautions and pleaded guilty to causing the death of Adrian while driving without due care and attention in March 2025.
She said: “That plea was entered on the day of this defendant’s trial. On 27th March of 2022, Adrian Daniel, who was 33 at the time, was pronounced deceased at 3.43 in the morning. The cause of death was recorded as head injury caused by a road traffic collision. He’d been in hospital since 17th March after a Mercedes G-wagon collided with him.
“It was on the downhill section of the road when the G-wagon, being driven by the defendant emerged from a side road onto Huddersfield Road and the collision occurred. He is survived by a 12-year-old daughter and his wife and his mother. His father has unfortunately died since.”
Akins had been taking his 7-year-old daughter to a piano lesson at the time of the collision and also had his 7-month-old daughter in the car.
Ms Pearsons said: “Adrian Daniel was riding his bicycle and was travelling downhill on Huddersfield Road, heading towards the same junction. He was wearing a headcam that recorded his journey and footage shows him in a good condition. Crossland Factory Lane forms at a T junction, with Huddersfield Road at a give-way junction.
“Traffic is obliged to give way at Huddersfield Road, which is what the defendant should have done. He intended to turn right into Huddersfield Road…The defendant didn’t give way at a give way sign. There is no stop sign or white line at that junction but there is an obligation to give way.
“The defendant on the footage, albeit was driving slowly, pulled out at the give way junction and struck Adrian Daniel. It was too late for Adrian Daniel to brake and he suffered a catastrophic head injury.”
The Crown said that Akins’ positioning wasn’t safe in the road, and that in his police interview, Atkins said he didn’t see Mr Daniel.
“The Crown say his knowledge of the road is a significant factor as he would have known the difficulties [of the road,]” Ms Pearson added.
The cyclist’s wife told court: “My husband was an adrenaline junkie and would ride his bike to work and back every day…He wasn’t a people person, always happy to be home with us. He was always happy to come home to us…
“We met in August 2019, we were married in August 2021. He came a third-wheel to me and my daughter and he became her dad without obligation to her. She was his little best mate…He was an only child and we lived next door to his parents…We considered ourselves extremely lucky.
“The afternoon of 17th march was the day my life changed forever. Like every other weekday he left work on his pushbike expecting to arrived home minutes later.”
Cyclist Adrian had a computer on his bike that alerted his emergency contact. Mrs Daniel said she called him and there was no answer. She said: “His parents went to go and find him and within minutes I got the call I didn’t want…I immediately went to the scene to spend some time with him. He spent 11 days on ICU and I talked and talked to him but never got anything back…It wasn’t him laying there.
“I was told the adrenaline junkie I knew and loved wasn’t coming back. On Sunday 27th, Adrian passed. Sine that day, it has been like hell and a nightmare I’m not waking up from…I know it’s happened, I’m not living in a fairytale but it was avoidable.
“I was unable to talk about Adrian without falling apart. I was angry with him for leaving us…I was angry because there was no reason for Adrian to leave us that day…This was too simple a collision to take his life.”
Mrs Daniel said she left her career at a hospital as she “cannot set foot in a hospital.”
“All I know I cannot do any more because I cannot walk through that door.”
Mrs Daniel said she knows Akins has a young family and does not want them to grow up without their father. She said: “His wife and children shouldn’t have to live the life we have since that day.
“Adrian survived a terrible accident 11 years ago – I’m not a spiritual person but I believe he survived that to find us…to show Evie what a dad was and me what true love was…
“I can say I have learned to live life without him and live it to the full but that doesn’t excuse Mr Akins’ actions…Three years of hell, of avoidance and adding further to my trauma has finally come to a close today.
“Never being fully to live the reality of Adrian’s actions because of the farce he has made of the justice system has finally been put to bed. No power is held over my family anymore and nothing will bring Adrian back.”
Mrs Daniel said Adrian’s legacy and want to live life to the full will “always remain.”
Tim Pole, representing Lucas, said: “I begin my mitigation on behalf of Mr Akins by publically apologising on his behalf. The fact he caused the death of Mr Daniel continues to dominate his thoughts and it’s a burden he will carry for the rest of his life.
“He understands the frustration and anger at the delay of pleading guilty and he has read today the first time the words put so eleoquently put before the court by Mr Daniel’s widow and that has had a profound impact on him.”
Mr Pole said the decision to plead guilty for those with no previous convictions is something not often taken.
He said: “He’s sorry for any additional distress the delay caused. But his remorse is genuine and his thoughts and the thoughts of his family remain with the family of Mr Daniel.
“Your honour knows Mr Akins is a man of previous good character. He was 33 at the time of the offence. The proceedings have had a significant toll on him. He has continued to suffer significant mental turmoil because of his involvement in this tragedy.
“It occured at a time he was experiencing difficulties in his personal life. His marriage had come to an end. He has, nevertheless, continued to co-parent his young family and plays a significant role in every aspect of the lives of his three young children.
“My submission to the court is that he is fundamentally a decent, honest and hard working individual. The nature of his employment means that this conviction may make it difficult to continue in his career in the future. Because of his previous character and what is attested to in the references, he has retained the support of his employer.
“Plainly, of course, were he to receive an immediate custodial sentence, that position would change.”
Mr Pole addressed the judge on sentencing guidelines: “The failure in this case is his inability to see Mr Daniel… The failure was not appreciating the presence of Mr Daniel, which is better described as a momentary lapse of concentration.”
The court is told that Akins is a dad-of-three, with Mr Pole telling the judge it is appropriate to suspend the sentence.
Recorder Menary said: “You are now 36 and until your guilty plea to this offence were of previous good character…
“You pleaded guilty on the day of trial and communicated that plea shortly before that tot he court and CPS. You had in fact been arraigned at an adjourned PTPH where it had been indicated in open court such a plea was acceptable.”
The judge said he will impost 15% credit to Akins. He also described Mr Daniel as a “keen cyclist” and said he was cycling home from work when the weather conditions were “fine and dry.”
He said: “All of this is apparent because he was wearing a helmet cam that recorded his journey and the moment of impact with your vehicle…Mr Daniel was not breaking the speed limit and had adopted an appropriate road position…As he approached the junction you appeared…You brought your vehicle to a momentary complete halt…The video shows you did not [stop]…On any analysis, it does not seem you would have had sufficient time to do those checks and it is plain you did not carry them out because if you had done so you would have seen Mr Daniel who was able to be seen…”
The judge said: “In event you failed to see Mr Daniel and you collided with him…It was clear to emergency services he sustained brain injuries and he succumbed to those days later.
“It is right to say your failure to accept fault for the collision has only furthered that impact [on Mr Daniel’s family].”
The judge handed Akins a 14 month prison sentence.
“It is plain to me you are someone who is highly unlikely to trouble the courts again…There is strong personal mitigation here, however it is against that it seems to be the appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.”
Akins will serve half of the sentence in custody before being released on licence, and also been disqualified from driving for a year.
