Jury to be sent out to consider verdict in Lee Morrisey GBH trial

A crown court jury was due to be sent out to consider its verdict in the case against a Corby man accused of an alleyway attack this afternoon (Tuesday, November 8).

Lee Matthew Morrisey – who also uses the spelling Lee Mathew Morrissey – is accused of causing grievous bodily harm to the woman in Corby on May 9 this year.

Jurors have been hearing evidence since last Wednesday in the case against the 47-year-old, who has a previous conviction for murdering Scott Munro in 2006.

Morrisey, of no fixed abode, stands accused of causing an 8cm head wound to the woman along with extensive bruising to her eyes, both sides of her face, her back, shoulder and neck.

Neighbours have given differing versions of the events of that night, with some reporting hearing Morrisey saying he was going to rape the victim, and shouting ‘Do you know who I am, I am Lee f***ing Morrisey.’ Another account describes the woman as being the one who appeared to be attacking Morrisey.

Morrisey’s version of events is that he came across her in the alleyway between Brookes Grove and Rowlett Road and she shouted ‘I know you, I know you’ before attacking him. He says he used reasonable force to hold her off by restraining her arms. In his own evidence, he said he believed the attack on him was linked to the 2006 murder. The victim was a former girlfriend of Morrisey’s co-accused Andrew Mullen.

This morning (Tuesday, November 8), jury members heard summing-up from prosecution and defence barristers as well as His Honour Judge David Herbert KC.

Prosecuting, barrister Ben Gow told the jury that the victim had told the court that she had no memory of meeting Morrisey but recalled that she had been ‘rag-dolled’ by him.

He reminded them they had head evidence from neighbours who had repeated what they were hearing in real time to police control room operators.

“They reported direct to police as it was happening,” said Mr Gow.

“They heard language from her like ‘google 999, call the police’. Why would she say that if she was doing the attacking?”

Mitigating, advocate Daniel Green reminded the jury that even if they thought it was possible or even probable Morrisey was not acting in self defence, that was not enough for a guilty verdict. They needed to be sure that his force was unlawful.

He said of two prosecution witnesses: “They couldn’t see what happened, they could only hear. That’s problematic.”

He mentioned the defendant’s previous convictions, including his admittance of murder.

"In his evidence he told you he pleaded guilty to murder because he had done it. Does that suggest that when he’s done something wrong, he owns it?” said Mr Green.

Judge Herbert told the jury they must decide whether the defendant caused the injuries, whether he was was acting in self-defence when the injures were caused, whether the force used was reasonable, and whether a reasonable and sober person would have known that some injury would have been caused by their actions.

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

Day two: Jury hears Lee Morrisey had murder conviction

Day three: ‘If I did it, I’ll hold my hands up and say so’