"Nothing untoward" about judge commenting on knife crime, appeal court finds

Patrick McMorrow, aged 51, of Caltragh Crescent, Sligo, has failed in his appeal against a ten-year sentence imposed for a knife attack at the Crozon Inn in October 2016. McMorrow pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to two victims following an altercation at a post-funeral gathering. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, upheld the sentence handed down by Judge Keenan Johnson in June 2018, with the final two years suspended. One victim was stabbed five times and required intensive care treatment, whilst the second suffered a collapsed lung. The appeal court rejected submissions that the sentencing judge had placed excessive emphasis on deterrence when referencing local knife crime prevalence. Mr Justice Birmingham stated there was nothing improper in the trial judge's remarks concerning the frequency of such offences or the expectation of severe penalties.