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A father and his two sons have been sentenced after a wake at Prenton Golf Club turned violent. The brawl left one man with permanent facial scarring requiring nine stitches to fix and several others injured.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Liam Redmond Senior, 61, and his sons Liam Redmond Junior, 25, and Luke Redmond, 23, all of Holm Lane, Prenton, admitted affray over the incident, which took place following a funeral on October 17, 2024, as reported by Manchester Evening News.
The court heard the Prenton Golf Club wake had been due to finish at 7 pm and had passed without incident until shortly before closing, when shouting broke out in the bar area. Venue manager Kate Verdin-Walsh found a group gathered around two men who were arguing, with Redmond Senior among those involved. She was among the "12 to 15 persons in a circle". Another man tried to back away from Redmond Senior, according to reports from the Liverpool Echo.
Although staff managed to calm the situation and escort the three men from the premises, the violence escalated outside when Redmond Senior pulled another mourner to the ground. The court heard the confrontation intensified after his daughter attempted to follow the group outside and another guest, unaware they were related, tried to stop her from leaving.
The fight briefly calmed down, and the man and his sons were taken from the premises, but it raged on when one of the men dragged another man out, close to the exit.
During the ensuing fight, one of the sons allegedly threw a pint glass into the crowd, striking Ms Verdin-Walsh on the head and leaving her requiring hospital treatment. Witnesses also described Redmond Senior gouging two men's eyes with his thumbs during the disorder.
Lorry driver William Donaldson was injured after stepping in to protect his nephew. He was knocked to the ground, repeatedly assaulted and suffered a severe facial wound believed to have been caused by a glass bottle. He was left with permanent scarring and glass fragments in one eye, and was unable to work for two weeks. In a victim impact statement, he said he rarely socialises now because he feels anxious in unfamiliar places and no longer enjoys going to the pub.
The court heard Liam Redmond Snr has 16 previous convictions for 24 offences, including attempted wounding and an affray committed at another wake in 2021. His sons had no previous convictions. Defence lawyers said all three had shown genuine remorse and had not offended again since the incident.
Judge Garrett Byrne sentenced Redmond Snr to nine months' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with rehabilitation requirements and a 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring programme. Liam Redmond Junior and Luke Redmond each received 12-month community orders, including rehabilitation activity and 80 hours of unpaid work. All three were also ordered to pay £250 compensation to Mr Donaldson.
Passing sentence, Judge Byrne described the incident as "an entirely disgraceful event", telling the defendants that what should have been "a solemn and respectful event" instead became "something akin to a bar room brawl".
