Family’s disbelief as killer walks free from court after dangerous driving spree

They have questioned whether the justice system at large is interested in bereaved victims such as them, after Christopher Wright received a suspended sentence for a catalogue of dangerous motoring offences.

Quizzed about the case by the News Letter, the Department of Justice and Parole Commissioners passed the buck to one another (see below, ‘WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WRIGHT BEING FREE?’).

Wright was one of the three men who set upon Andrew Lorimer, a 43-year-old father, in a flat in Lurgan in 2012, for reasons that remain obscure.

Kicks were rained upon Andrew, and least one of the assailants used a hammer to beat him, before the group left him; he died alone after crawling round the flat for some time, leaving a trail of his own blood in his wake.

The killing came to light only after a burglar found his body by chance days later and raised the alarm.

Given a five-year jail term, followed by five on licence, Wright (29 and from Seagoe Park, Portadown) was more than twice the legal alcohol limit when he was spotted driving erratically in the town on June 20 this year.

Craigavon Magistrate’s Court was told on November 20 that he panicked because he was on licence and sped away from police.

He drove through a stinger roadblock police had set up, and had escaped his pursuers – but then went on to crash into a police car, before fleeing again.

After one final crash, a passer-by came to Wright’s aid – but Wright punched them.

Initially charged with eight offences, Wright plead guilty and was convicted of five – two of failing to stop, one of driving with excess alcohol, one of dangerous driving, and one of assault.

District Judge Amanda Brady sentenced him to five months in jail, suspended for three years, fined him £165, and disqualified him from driving for three years.

SITUATION IS ‘UNREAL’:

Julie Lorimer, the sister-in-law of Andrew, told the News Letter the latest court development is “unreal”.

Aged 51 and still living in Lurgan (where Andrew’s killers also continue to reside), she told the News Letter she speaks for both herself and Andrew’s blood brother David, who also feels strongly about the case.

“I don’t expect much from the courts now because I don’t think they really care,” she said.

“The one thing we do not understand is: What does ‘on licence’ actually mean?

“We were led to believe that if you committed another crime within that time, you were back in again.

“But you seem to be able to do whatever you want. We don’t expect justice anymore.

“He should’ve gone back in and served his time. We were led to believe that’s what it means.

“It beggars belief.

“‘On licence’ – what does it mean? Is it just words?

“We were astonished. We’re just disgusted. There are no words.”

It was put to her that the government is trying to avoid custodial sentences at the moment due to Covid, to which she replied: “Does that mean we can have criminals roaming the streets, free to do what ever they want, because there isn’t room in the jail?”

The trio’s guilty pleas meant some of the facts of Andrew Lorimenr’s killing were not raked over in court – so the family “can only surmise” just how precisely Andrew’s fatal beating unfolded, because they “never got the full story”.

Mrs Lorimer said Andrew “wasn’t very brave”, in the sense that he would shun any physical confrontations.

Andrew had recently separated from his wife and lost his house, and was said to have been very low emotionally at the time of his killing – though the family believed he “was just turning the corner”.

Despite being “very down” after his separation from his wife, he continued to work as a volunteer canoe instructor, helping train Duke of Ed participants.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WRIGHT BEING FREE?

Passing sentence for the Lorimer killing in 2013, Mr Justice Weir indicated to Wright and his accomplices that they were getting a second chance, telling them: “Your time in prison and subsequently under probation supervision will give you the opportunity to make something positive of your lives.”

It is understood that the PPS do not have power to call for an “unduly lenient sentence review” relating to Wright’s motoring offences (something usually limited to offences like rape, murder, terrorism, etc).

And a spokesman for the Northern Ireland Secretary indicated that they had no latitude to revoke Wright’s licence, because his crimes are not linked to terrorism.

The Department of Justice meanwhile said that it cannot comment on individual cases, and referred the News Letter to the Parole Commissioners.

In turn, the Parole Commissioners said decisions about licences are a matter for the department (and that it will not comment on individual cases either).

The Lord Chief Justice’s Office (representing the judiciary) did not comment on the specific case either, but said the judge “will have considered a range of factors”.

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