Sisters upset over James’s death

BARRISTERS defending Lisa and Rebecca Mullins said they were feeling ‘ very stressed and upset’ at the recent loss of two family members.

The court heard how the sisters were at the funeral of a relative, but were also upset over the death of James Mulcahy, a close cousin who had passed - 13 months after he had been stabbed and placed on a life support machine.

John Marsh, defending Rebecca Mullins, told the court: “This took place at a very stressful time. It was the second funeral in the family in a very short time. This was her father’s cousin, effectively almost her uncle, and a previous week she had been to a funeral of a younger cousin who had been stabbed. He had been in hospital for quite a long time before succumbing to his injuries.

“She was feeling very upset and got very drunk.

“It doesn’t take a lot to get her very drunk because she doesn’t drink habitually.

“She was very drunk that evening.

“Originally she does try to break up an argument between her sister and her aunt and then later on when her aunt is sitting, for some reason that she doesn’t understand to this day, she went for her aunt and punched her and kicked her. She was quite disgusted with herself when she saw the CCTV and genuinely didn’t realise the magnitude of what she’s done.”

Charlotte Johnson, defending Lisa Mullins, said the death of James Mulcahy had affected her ‘ very gravely’.

She said: “In terms of the wake the family were attending on the date of the offence, that was a sudden death which took the family very much by surprise. Miss Mullins quite understandably was not herself at the time and the loss hit her very hard. At the wake a significant amount of alcohol was consumed by Miss Mullins which is very out of character for her.

“That got the better of her after the verbal argument between herself and her auntie. She reacted too much.”

Hugh Barton, defending Cullen who has previous convictions for wounding and affray, said his involvement was ‘confined to the assault on Mr Madden’ and that he initially ‘plays a role of peacemaker’.

David Bruce, defending Mulcahy, said he also initially tried to act as a peacemaker and that ‘ violence is something which is very out of character for this defendant’.

Judge Ian Leeming QC said it was a ‘disgraceful incident’.

l James Mulcahy was stabbed in a 20 man street brawl in a town centre fight in Bacup in 2014.

Mr Mulcahy was left ‘seriously brain damaged’ and died in December - 12 months after the attack.

Jonathan Wrigley, 34, of Todmorden Road, Bacup,, was later sentenced to 13 years and six months in jail last year after being found guilty of wounding. A ‘CAREER burglar’ who ransacked three homes stealing thousands of pounds in sentimental jewellery has been jailed.

Nicholas Mulcahy struck at one empty property in Bacup where the owner had recently moved into a care home, a court heard.

The 42-year-old, who is of no fixed abode but is from the Bacup area, also raided a property in Accrington as the owner was attending a funeral and another house in Whalley while the victim was on holiday.

Mulcahy, who has 26 previous convictions for 102 offences including some for burglary, pleaded guilty at Burnley Crown Court to three burglary charges and separate offences of affray and common assault.

He was jailed for a total of 36 months.

Barbara Webster, prosecuting, told the court how all the burglaries happened while he was on bail for the separate violence offences.

The court heard how Mulcahy used a spade to force open the window of a house on Todmorden Road in Bacup between April 29 and May 4 this year.

Miss Webster said the owner had recently moved into a care home and his son told police that every room had been ‘disturbed and ●● Nicholas Mulcahy searched’.

Between eight and 10 presentation boxes of whisky had been stolen along with six to eight packs of pipe tobacco.

The court heard how Mulcahy smashed his way into a house on Limefield Avenue in Whalley on March 31 this year as the owner was away on holiday. He stole property worth £ 2,345 including a ruby and diamond ring belonging to his mother.

On June 2 this year Mulcahy struck again at a house on Hollins Lane in Accrington as the victim was attending a funeral.

Hundreds of pounds worth of jewellery was stolen and every room was ransacked.

David Bruce, defending Mulcahy, said he ‘apologises to all his victims and expresses remorse’.

He told the court how the defendant was at ‘ rock bottom’ at the time of the offending following the death of his nephew James Mulcahy and was addicted to class A drugs which ‘affected his life, outlook and mental health’.

Judge Ian Leeming QC said Mulcahy was a ‘career burglar’ but acknowledged he was ‘at long last trying to change his behaviour’ and was making ‘good progress’ in prison through support and education.

‘She was felling very upset’