Man pleads guilty to wounding a man in the face in Carlisle City centre

A man has pleaded guilty in court after wounding a man's face in Carlisle city centre.

Ricky Lee Wayne Murphy, 25, injured a man in the mouth area for which he needed hospital treatment at 10:45am on Monday 21 February.

The incident prompted a public police appeal for information.

Murphy, from Carlisle, had initially been charged with alleged wounding of the man with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. 

A Cumbria police spokesman said: “The victim, a man in his 20s, was taken to hospital with an injury to his mouth area believed to have been caused by a knife or other bladed article.

"The man was subsequently released from hospital, the injury having required stitches.”

The spokesman added that officers had attended the incident scene and, less than an hour later, at around 11:20am, an arrest was made in the Denton Holme area of Carlisle.

When Murphy appeared at Carlisle Crown Court on Monday 22 August, he pleaded guilty to a lesser, alternative offence of unlawful and malicious wounding.

This came after behind-the-scenes discussions between the prosecution and defence, and was acceptable to all parties.

It involved agreement that the crime also involved the “carrying of a knife”, the court heard.

In light of Murphy’s guilty plea to the unlawful wounding charge, Recorder Ian Unsworth QC adjourned the case for the preparation of a probation service pre-sentence report.

Recorder Unsworth said Murphy should not read anything into the fact that a report was being ordered.

He added: “This is a serious matter.

“It is abundantly clear the court needs all available information at the time of sentence.”

Murphy has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on 5 September.

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