A father and his two sons who hurled pint glasses and gouged mourners' eyes during a funeral wake have been sentenced, leaving a lorry driver with permanent scarring. Liam Redmond, 61, and his sons Liam, 25, and Luke, 23, all pleaded guilty to affray after the incident at Prenton Golf Club in Wirral, which a judge described as 'something akin to a bar room brawl'.
Violence erupts at funeral wake
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the atmosphere at the wake had been peaceful until last orders, when staff noticed Redmond Senior arguing with someone near the bar. The three relatives, described as 'squaring up and showboating', were asked to leave, but a 'large scale fight' broke out as they reached the exit.
The trouble was reportedly triggered by another man putting his arm around Redmond Snr's daughter, unaware they were related and trying to keep her in the bar. After 'a lot of pushing and fighting', one of the younger Redmonds hurled a pint glass into the crowd, striking the manager in the head and requiring hospital treatment. Several witnesses saw Redmond Snr throwing punches and 'shoving his thumbs' into people's eyes.
Victim's life changed forever
The HGV driver, who suffered a 'split' nose and glass fragments in his eye, said in a victim statement: 'I don't really go out much anymore 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 anymore.'
The court heard that Redmond Snr has 16 previous convictions for 24 offences, including attempted wounding. This was not his first fight at a wake – he was spared jail for affray in 2022 over a fight in a hotel after a funeral the year before. His sons have no previous convictions.
Sentencing and judge's condemnation
Judge Garrett Byrne sentenced Redmond Snr to nine months' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement. His sons were each given 12-month community orders with 15-day rehabilitation activity requirements and 80 hours of unpaid work, plus £250 compensation each.
Judge Byrne said: '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.'
He added: 'What was supposed to be a solemn and respectful event descended into something akin to a bar room brawl. Glasses were thrown, various injuries were suffered by a number of different people.' Of the lorry driver, he said: '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, it is clear that you were all active participants in the fight.'
