Dad and sons hurled pints and gouged eyes of mourners in ‘bar room brawl’ wake

Liam Redmond snr, Liam Redmond jnr and Luke Redmond were sentenced after a wake at Prenton Golf Club “descended into something akin to a bar room brawl”, leaving a lorry driver permanently scarred

A father and his two sons hurled pint glasses and clawed at mourners’ eyes following a funeral service.

Liam Redmond snr, Liam Redmond jnr and Luke Redmond left a lorry driver permanently disfigured and needing nine stitches to a severe facial injury when the wake “descended into something akin to a bar room brawl”.

With the father having previously erupted into violence at another memorial gathering just three years prior, a judge declared to the family: “This was an entirely disgraceful event. All three of you should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Liverpool Crown Court was told on Thursday (August 6) that the Redmonds, all from Holm Lane in Prenton, Wirral, attended a wake at Prenton Golf Club on the afternoon of October 17 in 2024 after a funeral service.

While their connection to the deceased remains unclear, the father and sons were reportedly unknown to witnesses of the subsequent incident, “some of whom thought that the defendants were inappropriately dressed”.

Henry Riding, prosecuting, explained how the wake was scheduled to conclude at 7pm, with manager Kate Verdin-Walsh announcing last orders shortly before 6.45pm, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Although she remembered 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 one of these men, being seen shouting at the other male as the latter “tried to back away”.

Following Ms Verdin-Walsh “managed to calm him down”, the now 61-year-old and his sons, who were previously said to have been “squaring up and showboating”, were subsequently led out of the premises. Nevertheless, the father then dragged another man to the ground close to the exit, at which point a “large scale fight broke out”.

This was seemingly triggered when Redmond snr’s daughter went to accompany him and her brothers out of the establishment, only for the male who was brought to the ground to “put his arm around her back to keep her in the room”, apparently not recognising her connection to the men who had been asked to leave.

Following a “lot of pushing and fighting”, one of the sons was said to have hurled a pint glass into the crowd, with the vessel striking Ms Verdin-Walsh in the head, causing a small lump and leaving her requiring hospital treatment.

One witness, Ronald Hancox, then stated that he had seen Roberts snr “pressing his thumb inside the eye of another male”, at which he intervened by punching the defendant. Another attendee, Carl Hancox, meanwhile saw the father “striking a male called Billy” before placing his thumbs into the man’s eyes.

When he too dashed to aid this victim, he remembered that “all three defendants turned their attentions on him”, resulting in him being punched and kicked in the head while on the ground. Roberts snr was then alleged to have similarly “shoved his thumbs into his eye, like he had done to Billy”.

William Donaldson, the uncle of the man who was floored at the start of the incident, meanwhile informed police that he had “run into the centre of the fight to try protect his nephew”.

But Mr Riding said: “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 was left with a “split” nose as a result of the assault, an injury which he believed had been caused by a glass bottle. He went to hospital the next day and had the cut stitched up with nine stitches.

The lorry driver also had to take a fortnight off due to having shards of glass in his eye, adding of his facial scar in a statement which was read out to the court on his behalf.

It read: “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 a criminal record spanning 16 convictions for 24 offences, dating back to 1978 and including a nine-month sentence for attempted wounding in 1990. He was also given a 12-month community order in May 2022 for affray, stemming from a “fight caused by the defendant at a wake in a hotel in 2021”.

Defence lawyer Lloyd Morgan 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.”

Both Liam Redmond jnr, 25, and Luke Redmond, 23, have clean records with no previous convictions. Speaking on behalf of the former, Nick Cockrell 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.”

Cheryl Mottram, barrister for Luke Redmond, told the court that her client had not reoffended since the incident and expressed deep remorse. All three defendants pleaded guilty to affray on the day they were due to stand trial.

Standing in the dock dressed in a navy blue cardigan over a light blue shirt and tie, Liam Redmond snr received a nine-month jail term 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, who sported a light blue shirt and tie, and Luke Redmond, clad in a grey suit and spectacles, were both handed 12-month community orders with 15-day rehabilitation activity requirements and 80 hours of unpaid work.

They were also ordered to pay £250 each in 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 earlier conviction “bore a striking similarity” to his most recent offence and continued: “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.”

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.