Lee Morrisey NOT GUILTY of Corby alleyway attack

A man who is a on a life licence for murder has been found not guilty of a Corby alleyway ‘attack’.

Lee Morrisey, who also uses the spelling Lee Morrissey, was last night cleared of a GBH charge following an incident on May 9 this year.

The 47-year-old had been standing trial for the past week accused of attacking a woman in the alleyway between Rowlett Road and Brookes Grove in Corby at about 11.30pm on the night in question.

The court had heard how the woman didn’t remember much of the incident, but did remember lying in the alley with Morrisey on top of her thinking ‘it’s game over’ and that she was going to be killed.

Morrisey said that the woman had attacked him first, shouting ‘I know you, I know you,’ and trying to ‘gouge out his eyes’ and that he had only held her arms up to stop her hitting him.

He suggested she recognised him because she had once been in a relationship with Andrew Mullen, Morrisey’s co-accused from the 2006 murder of Scott Munro.

Unusually, the jury was told of Morrisey’s murder conviction because it was relevant to the motive for the attack he said was launched on him by the complainant. They were only given brief details, and were not told of the full horror of the killing, nor of Morrisey’s return to jail in 2020 for carrying a knife and cannabis in George Street.

Neighbours told the court they had heard what sounded like a couple rowing, and others said they had heard what sounded like skin-on-skin contact.

The jury was asked by His Honour Judge David Herbert to decide whether Morrisey, who was represented by advocate Daniel Green, acted in self-defence, and with reasonable force.

The panel of six men and six women was sent out to deliberate at just before 2pm yesterday (Tuesday, November 8) and returned their verdict at 4.31pm, ultimately convinced that Morrisey had used reasonable force to restrain the female complainant.

Morrisey served 13 years of his life sentence but is on a licence for the rest of his life, meaning he can be recalled to prison at any moment if his behaviour is deemed to be a risk to the public. Following this incident, on May 9, he was immediately returned to HMP Peterborough where he has remained for the duration of the GBH trial.

During his witness testimony, Morrisey told the court that even if there were a not guilty verdict, it could still be another year before he is able to go before the parole board who will assess his eligibility for release.

Morrisey has been supported in court by female members of his family and by his girlfriend of three years. He told the jury he was his ‘angel’, and was the reason he would not risk being sent back to prison. He told the jury he had not raised a hand to anyone since 2006 and would regret the events of that night forever.

Day one: Lee Morrisey trial sees video of him on top of victim as police arrive

Day two: Jury hears Lee Morrisey had a murder conviction

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