A dad and his two sons hurled pint glasses and gouged mourners’ eyes after a funeral wake descended into chaos.
Liam Redmond, 61, and sons Liam, 25, and Luke, 23, left a lorry driver scarred for life when the event at Prenton Golf Club, Wirral, turned into ‘something akin to a bar room brawl’.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the atmosphere had been peaceful until last orders when staff were alerted to Redmond Snr arguing with someone by the bar area.
The three relatives, who were described as ‘squaring up and showboating’, were asked to leave but a ‘large scale fight’ broke out as they reached the exit.
It was said to have been triggered by another man putting his arm around Redmond Snr’s daughter, unaware they were related and trying to keep her in the bar.
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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 leaving her needing hospital treatment.
Several witnesses described seeing Redmond Snr throwing punches and ‘shoving his thumbs’ into people’s eyes.
The HGV driver who suffered a ‘split’ nose and got shards of glass in his eye in the fighting said in a 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 Redmond Snr has 16 previous convictions for 24 offences, included attempted wounding.
It was not even 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.
All three pleaded guilty to affray.
Redmond Snr was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement
His sons were both given 12-month community orders with 15-day rehabilitation activity requirements and 80 hours of unpaid work.
They were also told to pay £250 each in compensation.
Sentencing, Judge Garrett 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.
‘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.’
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