Footballer denies 'cuffs' gesture

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A footballer fined for making an apparent handcuffs gesture has said his actions have been misunderstood.

Ipswich Town punished David Norris after he crossed his wrists in a goal celebration believed to have been a message to his friend Luke McCormick.

The former Plymouth keeper is serving seven years for killing two boys, Aaron and Ben Peak, while driving drunk.

However, Norris has denied the gesture represented handcuffs or that it was a message of support to McCormick.

In a statement, the player said he would "never act so insensitively".

That is all we wanted, a letter to say he is sorry and he's shown he's got a heart Amanda Peak

His gesture in Ipswich's 1-0 win at Blackpool on Saturday was criticised by the mother of the two boys, aged 10 and eight.

Ipswich said they were concerned Norris's celebration had been interpreted as a show of support for 25-year-old McCormick. The two men were team-mates at Plymouth Argyle.

McCormick crashed his Range Rover on the M6 in Staffordshire in June after attending Norris's wedding, killing the two boys and badly injuring their father.

'Family man'

In a statement on the Ipswich Town website, Norris said: "I would like to stress that I made no handcuff gesture or personal message to Luke McCormick.

"I can see how my actions may have been misinterpreted and for that and any distress this may have caused the Peak family I am truly sorry.

"People who know me know I am a decent family man and I would never do anything intentionally to upset another family."

Norris, 26, also apologised to his club for "the embarrassment caused" and said he would be speaking to Ben and Arron's parents, Amanda and Philip Peak, from Partington in Greater Manchester.

McCormick was more than twice the legal limit when he crashed

However, his statement failed to explain what his gesture was or how it was meant to have been interpreted.

Ipswich officials said Norris had written a letter of "regret" to the Peaks.

A spokesman said: "Whilst the club has heard David's explanation that his gesture was in no way intended to condone or support the actions of Luke McCormick, he was found to have been insensitive to the possible interpretation.

"David deeply regrets that his actions have been wrongly misinterpreted."

Mrs Peak said she was now satisfied.

"That is all we wanted, a letter to say he is sorry and he's shown he's got a heart, and it wasn't intended to hurt anyone but obviously it did."

She added: "It was something private between him and Luke but private should stay private, it should not be in public."

The Football Association has said it wants an explanation over Norris's actions.