Corby attack accused Lee Morrisey tells jury 'If I did it I’ll hold my hands up and say so'

A man accused of beating a Corby woman up in an alleyway yesterday (Friday, November 4) told a court that he would own up to the crime if he had done it.

Convicted murderer Lee Morrisey, of no fixed abode, told a jury sitting at Northampton Crown Court that there was no way he would jeopardise his freedom to attack a stranger when he had an ‘angel’ girlfriend at home.

During the third day of a GBH trial, softly-spoken Morrisey, 47, wore a pale blue shirt for his appearance in the witness box. One prison officer sat next to him and another sat next to the courtroom door. At one point he was close to tears as he spoke about his girlfriend.

Before he gave evidence the jury of six men and six women were formally told brief details of three previous convictions including the 2006 murder of Scott Munro that they had already heard about during yesterday’s hearing.

They heard that the defendant was released from prison in 2019 after serving a life sentence for punching Mr Munro to the ground along with his friend Andrew Mullen.

Jury members were also given brief details of a common assault committed in 2003, during which Morrisey’s former girlfriend was left with scratches and bruises following a row.

And they were told of an assault from January 2004 when Morrisey saw a man grab his sister’s bottom in Martine’s Nightclub before he went into the toilets and punched him in the face.

They were warned that just because Morrisey was guilty of those crimes, it did not mean he had committed the crime he currently stands accused of.

In the witness box, Morrisey told the court that before the incident on May 9 this year, he’d just been given a full-time job working 12 hour shifts and had gone to celebrate out after work and bumped into an old friend. The pair went to Occupation Road shops to get some beer and they had then gone to help another man start his broken-down car.

They then went to Studfall Avenue shops to get more beer and sat outside the Rockingham Arms drinking them before going to Welland Vale shops and sitting in the service road drinking for a while. Morrisey estimated he’d drunk about 8 cans of Polish lager.

He began the walk home to his mum’s house in Sarrington Road, taking the shortest route through the alleway from Brookes Grove to Rowlett Road.

CCTV showed a man and a woman standing at the top of the alley for around five minutes before walking into the alley. But Morrisey said he did not remember this, only coming across the woman who he said was walking in the opposite direction coming towards him while they were in the alley.

"She just started on me, saying ‘I know you, I know you,” he said.

He said he remembered her trying to punch him ‘15 to 20 times’, with ‘a good few’ landing on his head and face.

"I’m trying to grab hold of her to stop her hitting me and we’ve stumbled over,” he said.

"She just carried on and on and wouldn’t let up. She’s calling me all sorts like ‘you’re a nasty c***, you’re going to get what you deserve’.

"As soon as she said that I realised (why). The only thing I’ve done wrong since 2006. From that day I’ve never raised my hand to anyone.”

Morrisey said that he believed she fell forward on top of him and hit her head on the palisade fencing in the alleyway.

Evidence from forensics officers read on Tuesday said that they had not found any trace of blood on the fence.

"She’s bounced off the fence, face planted and she’s still on top of me trying to gouge my eyes out,” he said.

Morrisey was also asked about the accusations of rape that other neighbours said they heard coming from the alley.

"Did you make any comment about having sex with her?” said Morrisey’s advocate Dan Green.

“Did you ever say you were going to rape her?”

Morrisey became emotional and gestured toward his girlfriend in the public gallery. "Never. I’ve got a beautiful girlfriend there of three years,” he said.

The 47-year-old recalled his thoughts at the moment the police turned up. “That’s me back to jail” he said.

"I’m subject to a life licence. Anything wrong and that’s me back in jail. Late for probation, anything at all, I’m back to jail.”

He said that he had now served six months on remand for the alleged assault and would have to wait to go before a parole board – which may take two years or more – even if he was found not guilty of this crime.

“Who do you blame for this whole situation?” asked his advocate Dan Green.

"Her,” replied Morrisey.

In cross-examination, barrister Ben Gow said that Morrisey had not mentioned the victim falling against the fence in police interview.

He suggested that Morrisey had only come up with that version of events after having had access to images of the victim’s injuries and court documents.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard evidence from the victim who said that Morrisey had been ‘rag-dolling her’. She suffered extensive injuries to her face, head and back.

"How is it that she had those extensive injuries?” asked Mr Gow.

"I do not know,” replied Morrisey.

"Do you recall her saying, ‘google, phone 999’?” asked Mr Gow.

"I don’t remember,” said Morrisey. “I know 100 per cent I didn’t punch her, slap her or anything.

"I’m going to jeopardise my freedom to attack a stranger? Everything I’ve done in my life, if I’ve done it I’ll own it. I pleaded guilty to murder because I did it.

"If I did it I’ll hold my hands up and say so because I’ve been brought up that way.”

After his appearance his girlfriend gave him a reassuring nod from her seat in the public gallery, alongside female members of his family who have been in court throughout the trial.

The court also heard from another witness who gave evidence from behind a screen who said that she had heard a woman and a man having an argument, but she also heard the woman laughing and thought that they had resolved their row.

Jury members have previously been told that the victim had posted on Facebook in the days after the incident that she had ‘got f***ed up walking home’ and that, in reply to another poster, she’d said ‘I don’t know him personally but I know of him. He’s a bad man. Killed someone before with my ex.’

The victim said during her police interview that she didn’t know Morrisey but was told his name at the end of her police interview.

Morrisey denies on count of Section 20 GBH. The trial continues next week.

Day one: ‘Do you know who I am? I’m Lee F***ing Morrisey’

Day two: Jury hears Lee Morrisey has murder conviction