A man who stabbed his mum in the heart as she tried to stop him fighting was jailed for 19 years today.
Karen Dempsey was stabbed in the heart by her son, Jamie Dempsey, near to the Brambles pub in Kirkby in summer last year. Dempsey then hugged his fatally-wounded 55-year-old mum and fled the scene.
The 32-year-old later asked a cousin to burn the clothes he was wearing and bought beers from an off-licence before handing himself into police. After a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, a jury cleared Dempsey, of Brechin Road, Kirkby, of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter, wounding with intent, and possession of a bladed article and he appeared on Wednesday to be sentenced.
READ MORE: Woman 'gave Thomas Cashman new clothes' after Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot
During the trial, Peter Glenser KC outlined that the mother and son had arranged to meet in the pub on the evening of August 22 last year. Dempsey ran into Brian Flynn, whom he owed £2,000 and a fight ensued after Mr Flynn threw a glass at Dempsey inside.
The two men left through different doors, but began to fight outside, before Dempsey stabbed Mr Flynn five times causing serious injuries. As Karen Dempsey tried to intervene, a sixth blow struck her in the chest, leaving her with blood pouring down her chest, the knife having pierced her heart and liver.
Dempsey ran from the scene after hugging his mother, who was rushed to Aintree Hospital but pronounced dead at 9.45pm. He later handed himself in to Merseyside police, not knowing that his mother was dead.
The sister of the victim, Lynn Dempsey, attended and read her victim personal statement to the court. She also detailed her sister’s “zest for life”, and the “immense pain” at losing her.
Ms Dempsey said: “To have had her in our lives was an absolute privilege, she was always the life and soul of the party. Her zest for life and her energy would leave you breathless, it makes the loss of her life so hard to accept and there is a deep sorrow that will never ease.
“We miss her so much and the world is a darker place without her.” She also thanked those involved in the case: “On behalf of the Dempsey family we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has worked tirelessly on this case, from police, the legal team, court officials, family liaison officers and victim support services for their kindness and compassion for the whole process.
“There are no winners for this case or indeed with the final verdict. “It will never bring Karen back, the only hope is that she is now resting in peace.
“We miss her every day and she is always in our hearts.” Mr Glenser detailed that Dempsey struck five blows at Mr Flynn, before the sixth blow hit Karen Dempsey and caused her death.
He said: “Karen Dempsey was never the intended victim, and it was her coming to separate the two principal protagonists that led to her death. “She was an innocent bystander, had any other innocent bystander intervened they could have been victims.”
He submitted that Dempsey had engaged in a consensual fight with Mr Flynn, and he brought the knife to the scene. Mr Glenser added: “A taxi was called by Karen Dempsey as soon as he arrived, but they stayed and had a second pint, rather than leaving or going elsewhere or waiting elsewhere.”
Dempsey has a previous conviction for possession of a knife when he was 17, assault in 2011, and two public order offences in 2015 and 2021. Mr Cray, defending, said: “I would like to preface submissions by the defendant’s wish to express through me his remorse to his family and he is aware not only that he has caused the death of his mother, but he has also caused almost unquantifiable grief to those that loved her, as has been movingly expressed this morning.
“It is important that it is said and heard before anything else.” He continued: “Flynn is a drug debt enforcer who has previously threatened the defendant with his life, and in public has carried out a glassing of him, which is the immediate precursor to the incident a few minutes later.
“The final thing to consider is the unusual circumstances in the case of manslaughter of genuine remorse.” Mr Cray argued this should warrant a reduction in the starting point of the sentence, and pointed out that Dempsey has limited previous convictions of a similar nature, therefore this offence could be said to be out of character.
In sentencing, Judge Denis Watson KC said: “You are 32-years-old, to be sentenced for unlawful wounding, manslaughter of your mother, and possession of a bladed article.
“It is now clear that the jury found you had taken the knife with you when you went out on the evening of August 22. “In terms of background, you had run up a drug debt with Brian Flynn and you owed him approximately £2,000 that you had not paid him.
“On the 22nd of August, you arranged to meet your mother knowing that he may be at the same pub and knowing there could be trouble, you decided to take a knife. Whilst you thought of the risk to yourself, your decision to take a knife of course put your mother, partner and others in great danger.
“Inside the pub of course it can’t have been a surprise that when Mr Flynn saw you he was angry and attacked you. You knew perfectly well that he dared not risk being known as a dealer soft on those that owed him money.
“When he saw you he attacked you by smashing a glass on your freehand. “Your mother reacted instantly and put herself between you two, and the two of you were kept apart as Mr Flynn threw a second glass at you.
“If you had thought for a moment about your mums’ wish to stop you, you would have realised that if you took the fight to him, she would try to intervene. “You went outside via different doors, once outside you saw Brian Flynn and he saw you.
“You saw Mr Flynn before he saw you, and you came together for a consensual fight. “You took out your kitchen type knife which must have had a blade of about six inches in length.
“The fast moving and relatively short fight was captured on CCTV, and without a moment's hesitation on either side, you began a short but extremely violent hand to hand combat. “Your mum and another male were close by, she tried to calm and reason with you but to no effect, you were determined to fight.
“You swung at him, he grabbed at you and he hit you in the head. “You stabbed him to his right and left side five times.
“As you tried to stab him yet again, it seems you were off balance, you missed him but your momentum turned 90 degrees or more and your knife plunged into your mothers chest. It must have been a forceful blow because the wound went to a depth of approximately six inches.
“She put both hands to her chest as she realised she had been stabbed. “Neither you nor your mother realised the gravity of her injury and you were both unaware that she was mortally wounded.
“Your mother knew you had been in an unlawful fight and she told you to leave, and you also know you had been in an unlawful fight so you left and tried to cover your tracks. “I accept that you never had any intent to do harm to your mother. “The fight and your pride was your ultimate priority and saving face was all that mattered.
“Similarly I have no doubt that you regret killing your mother and you will do all of your life. “However, your remorse stops there, as you sought to justify your actions as self-defence, and claimed that you only picked up the knife for that purpose.
“The simple fact is that your decision to bring a knife and use it caused her death.”
Dempsey was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment for manslaughter, and told he will likely serve two thirds of that sentence.
He was also handed a four year sentence for unlawful wounding, and three years for possession of a bladed article, which will be served concurrently.
READ NEXT
Thomas Cashman trial updates as jury told of moment mum realised Olivia Pratt-Korbel had been shot
Schoolchildren arrested after horrific cat attack video emerges
Eurovision Song Contest tickets being resold for £11,000
When and where snow will fall as Met Office issues four day weather warning
