A father and his two sons hurled pint glasses and gouged the eyes of mourners following a funeral service. Liam Redmond snr, Liam Redmond jnr and Luke Redmond left a lorry driver with permanent scarring and needing nine stitches to a severe facial injury when the wake "descended into something akin to a bar room brawl".
Given the father had previously become violent at another memorial gathering just three years prior, a judge told the family today: "This was an entirely disgraceful event. All three of you should be ashamed of yourselves."
Wake at Prenton Golf Club
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday that the Redmonds, all of Holm Lane in Prenton, Wirral, attended a wake at Prenton Golf Club on the afternoon of 17 October 2024 after a funeral. While their relationship to the deceased remains unclear, the father and sons were said to have been unfamiliar to witnesses of the subsequent incident, "some of whom thought that the defendants were inappropriately dressed".
Henry Riding, prosecuting, outlined how the wake had been scheduled to finish at 7pm, with manager Kate Verdin-Walsh announcing last orders shortly before 6.45pm. While she remembered that the "atmosphere was good" with the service "passing without any untoward incident", staff members then "alerted her to shouting in the bar area".
There, Ms Verdin-Walsh discovered "12 to 15 persons in a circle, appearing to act as a buffer between two males who were arguing and shouting". Liam Redmond snr was reported to have been amongst these men, observed shouting at the other individual as he "tried to back away", reports the Liverpool Echo.
Brawl erupts
After Ms Verdin-Walsh "managed to calm him down", the now 61-year-old and his sons, who had previously been described as "squaring up and showboating", were subsequently escorted from the premises. The father then dragged another man to the ground close to the exit, at which point a "large scale fight broke out".
This appeared to have been triggered when Redmond snr's daughter attempted to follow him and her brothers out of the venue, only for the man who had been pulled to the floor to "put his arm around her back to keep her in the room", seemingly unaware of her connection to the group who had been removed. Following a "lot of pushing and fighting", one of the sons allegedly hurled a pint glass into the crowd, which struck Ms Verdin-Walsh on the head, causing a small lump and necessitating hospital treatment.
Witness Ronald Hancox subsequently stated that he had observed Roberts snr "pressing his thumb inside the eye of another male", prompting him to intervene by striking the defendant. A further attendee, Carl Hancox, meanwhile witnessed the father "striking a male called Billy" before forcing his thumbs into the man's eyes.
When he rushed to assist this casualty, he remembered that "all three defendants turned their attentions on him", resulting in him being subjected to punches and kicks to the head while on the ground. Roberts snr was then said to have similarly "shoved his thumbs into his eye, like he had done to Billy".
Victim's injuries
William Donaldson, the uncle of the man who was initially forced to the ground, told police that he had "run into the centre of the fight to try protect his nephew". However, Mr Riding stated: "He saw a glass being thrown by one of the males but ended up on the floor, being struck multiple times by the younger of the two males, who attempted to gouge out his eyes with his fingers."
Mr Donaldson suffered a "split" nose from the attack, an injury which he believed had been caused by a glass bottle. He sought medical treatment the next day and required nine stitches to close the wound.
The HGV driver also needed to take a fortnight off work after being left with shards of glass in his eye, stating of his facial scarring in a statement which was presented to the court on his behalf: "I don't really go out much any more so that I don't have to explain it to people. I no longer pop down to the pub. I get nervous about strange places and people. I was always easy going and could chat to anyone. I always enjoyed a laugh and socialising, but not any more."
Previous conviction
Liam Redmond snr has 16 previous convictions for 24 offences, stretching back to 1978 and including a nine-month sentence for attempted wounding in 1990. He previously received a 12-month community order in May 2022 for affray, connected to a "fight caused by the defendant at a wake in a hotel in 2021".
Lloyd Morgan, representing him, informed the court that his client has emphysema, stating: "Mr Roberts snr receives Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment. He receives about £900 per month. He has various outgoings. The report does recommend a rehabilitation activity requirement and an alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement."
Both Liam Redmond jnr, 25, and Luke Redmond, 23, have clean records. Nick Cockrell, speaking for the former, said: "This was, in this defendant's life, an isolated incident, almost two years ago now, admittedly one committed when he was in drink. He does still drink from time to time, as any young person does. He is a self employed plasterer."
Luke Redmond's barrister Cheryl Mottram told the court that her client had stayed out of trouble since and was "very remorseful". All three defendants pleaded guilty to affray on the day they were scheduled to face trial.
Sentencing
Standing in the dock dressed in a navy blue cardigan over a light blue shirt and tie, Liam Redmond snr received a nine-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, alongside a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days and a 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement. Liam Redmond jnr, dressed in a light blue shirt and tie, and Luke Redmond, wearing a grey suit and glasses, each received 12-month community orders with 15-day rehabilitation activity requirements and 80 hours of unpaid work.
Each was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to Mr Donaldson. During sentencing, Judge Garrett Byrne stated: "On that date, you were all in attendance at a wake at Prenton Golf Club. You, along with everybody, it seems to me, were under the influence of alcohol. There appears to have been some words said, and a fight broke out."
"This was, on any view, an entirely disgraceful event. All three of you should be ashamed of yourselves. What was supposed to be a solemn and respectful event descended into something akin to a bar room brawl."
"It started when you, Mr Redmond snr, dragged the nephew down. Mr Donaldson ran over to help his nephew, and the fight started. Glasses were thrown, various injuries were suffered by a number of different people, including the manager, including Carl Hancox, but, perhaps most seriously of all, William Donaldson, who suffered a very serious injury to his nose."
"He had nine stitches to close that unpleasant wound. He was left with a permanent scar. He was left with glass fragments in his eyes. Although it is not entirely clear which of you caused the injuries to Mr Donaldson, it is clear that you were all active participants in the fight."
Judge Byrne informed Redmond snr that his prior conviction "bore a striking similarity" to his most recent offence, adding: "It was another wake. You were also intoxicated."
"I accept that you have not reoffended. None of you have reoffended since this offence. You have shown genuine remorse. I accept that you have medical conditions. You showed good compliance on your community order, albeit it did not stop you committing this offence."
