Dad and sons chucked pint glasses and gouged eyes at wake

A father and his two sons hurled pint glasses and attacked mourners’ eyes 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’s history of violence at another memorial gathering just three years prior, a judge declared today: “This was an entirely disgraceful event. All three of you should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Liverpool Crown Court was told on Thursday that the Redmonds, all residing at Holm Lane in Prenton, Wirral, were present at a wake held at Prenton Golf Club on the afternoon of 17 October 2024 after a funeral. While their connection to the deceased remains uncertain, the father and sons were reportedly unfamiliar to witnesses of the subsequent incident, “some of whom thought that the defendants were inappropriately dressed”.

Prosecutor Henry Riding explained how the wake had been scheduled to conclude at 7pm, with manager Kate Verdin-Walsh announcing last orders shortly before 6.45pm. Although she remembered the “atmosphere was good” with the service “passing without any untoward incident”, staff members subsequently “alerted her to shouting in the bar area”.

Upon arriving at the scene, 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 identified as one of these individuals, observed shouting at the other man as he “tried to back away”, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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Once 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 removed from the premises. Despite this, the father then dragged another man to the ground close to the exit, at which point a “large scale fight broke out”.

The confrontation was apparently triggered when Redmond snr’s daughter attempted to follow him and her brothers out of the venue, only for the man who had been floored to “put his arm around her back to keep her in the room”, seemingly unaware of her connection to those who had been ejected. Following a “lot of pushing and fighting”, one of the sons allegedly hurled a pint glass into the gathered crowd, which struck Ms Verdin-Walsh on the head, causing a small lump and necessitating hospital treatment.

Witness Ronald Hancox subsequently testified 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, also witnessed the father “striking a male called Billy” before forcing his thumbs into the victim’s eyes.

When he rushed to help this casualty, he remembered that “all three defendants turned their attentions on him”, resulting in him being repeatedly struck and booted to the head while lying on the ground. Roberts snr then allegedly “shoved his thumbs into his eye, like he had done to Billy”.

William Donaldson, the uncle of the individual who was initially brought down during the incident, told officers 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.”

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The assault left Mr Donaldson with a “split” nose, an injury he suspected came from a glass bottle. He sought medical attention the next day and required nine stitches to close the gash.

The HGV driver was also forced to take a fortnight off work after being left with glass fragments lodged in his eye, stating of his facial scarring in a statement read 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.”

Liam Redmond snr has accumulated 16 previous convictions covering 24 offences since 1978, which include a nine-month sentence for attempted wounding in 1990. More recently, in May 2022, he received a 12-month community order for affray following a “fight caused by the defendant at a wake in a hotel in 2021”.

Lloyd Morgan, defending, informed the court that his client suffers from 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.”

Meanwhile, both Liam Redmond jnr, 25, and Luke Redmond, 23, have clean criminal records. Nick Cockrell, representing 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.”

Barrister Cheryl Mottram, speaking for Luke Redmond, highlighted that her client had not committed any further offences since and was “very remorseful”. All three defendants entered guilty pleas to affray on the day their trial was scheduled to begin.

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Standing in the dock dressed in a navy blue cardigan layered 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. His son, Liam Redmond jnr, attired in a light blue shirt and tie, and Luke Redmond, sporting a grey suit and spectacles, were each handed 12-month community orders featuring 15-day rehabilitation activity requirements and 80 hours of unpaid work.

Additionally, they were ordered to pay £250 compensation each 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.

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“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 highlighted that Redmond snr’s prior conviction “bore a striking similarity” to his most recent offence, pointing out: “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.”