The Latics have shocked the footballing world by offering a deal to ex- West Brom striker Lee Hughes. Hughes (31) is currently halfway through a six year prison sentence for causing death by dangerous driving and is awaiting a Parole Board hearing next month. He was jailed in August 2004 following a car crash in Coventry which killed one person and severely injured another two.The Trust Oldham fans Director Barry Owen has been instrumental in setting up the deal which has already caused a club or morality split amongst many of the fans but Owen told the official website, "Oldham Athletic does not condone what happened and we are very sympathetic towards the family of the victim. However, Lee Hughes is now nearing the end of his sentence and has paid the price for what occurred. As far as the club is concerned, Lee deserves a second chance and we consider this a top-class signing. We would ask supporters and the general public not to pass moral judgement. I am in regular contact with Lee's family and the player is training very hard and is exceptionally fit. Lee is very keen to do well for Oldham and, bearing in mind his past footballing achievements, I hope this will will turn out to be one of our best signings for many years."
The file from the BBC News at the time read: "Premiership footballer Lee Hughes has been jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving. The 28-year-old West Bromwich Albion striker had denied causing the death of father-of-four Douglas Graham in Meriden, near Coventry, in November. Mr Graham, 56, died after Hughes' £100,000 Mercedes car ploughed into the Renault in which he was a passenger. Hughes, who did not turn himself into police for 36 hours, has had his contract terminated. He was convicted at Coventry Crown Court on Monday, following a six-day trial. The jury took 90 minutes to reach its decision.
Hughes had earlier admitted failing to stop after the crash last November. He also admitted a second offence of failing to report an accident following the collision. After Hughes was sentenced, West Bromwich Albion announced it had terminated his contract, which had two years left to run.
In a statement released after the verdict, Mr. Graham's wife Maureen described the impact the loss of her husband had had on the family by saying, "Something has been taken away from my family that can never be replaced. We know that we must now simply attempt to come to terms with the loss. We can only hope that the person involved will acknowledge what he has done to my family. Nobody can understand the huge amount of grief and stress that has been caused to my family over the last nine months."
Mrs. Graham said she had never heard of Lee Hughes before the tragedy and had no interest in football. She said her husband had followed the fortunes of Coventry City, one of Hughes' former clubs. The court heard earlier Mr. and Mrs. Graham, of Eastern Green, Coventry, had spent the evening at a country and western night at a Meriden community centre and accepted a lift home from Albert Frisby. Mr Frisby, who spent three months in hospital after the crash and now uses a wheelchair, told the court how he saw Mr. Hughes' silver CL500 approaching on the wrong side of the road. Mrs. Graham, who was in the back passenger seat with her husband, also suffered severe injuries in the collision.
In a statement on its website West Bromwich Albion said: "The club would like to take this opportunity to express its deepest sympathies to the Graham family on the loss of Mr. Douglas Graham. Its thoughts are with Mrs. Maureen Graham, Mr. Albert Frisby and Mr. Frank Gosling, who were injured in the incident."