Heysham man jailed for ex-partner vicious assault – six years after killing Morecambe man in street

A man jailed for killing a popular 55-year-old man in Morecambe more than six years ago has been sent to prison again for a vicious attack on his ex-partner.
Christopher Kearns.Christopher Kearns.
Christopher Kearns.

Christopher Kearns, 46, of Norton Road, Heysham, has been jailed for four years and eight months after attacking a woman he was previously banned from seeing.

Kearns was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm and breach of a restraining order.

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The court heard Kearns has a number of previous convictions for violence, including manslaughter after a man he punched in Morecambe later died from his injuries.

He has convictions for assaulting female partners and breaching restraining orders and is deemed a dangerous offender due to the risk he poses to relationship partners.

The judge handed him a four year and eight month sentence, made up of a two year eight month custodial term and a two year extended licence period.

The restraining order has been extended until February 16 2022.

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Kearns was jailed for three years and four months in April 2013 after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Paul Ormerod – who was known to many in the area as “Pop Man Paul”.

Mr Ormerod was assaulted outside the Joiners Arms pub on Queen Street at around 1.15am on November 5 2012.

He was punched in the face and fell to the ground. He was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where he remained in a critical condition until he passed away on November 14.

At the time of the sentencing, Det Insp Martin Clague said: “This was a mindless act of drunken violence which resulted in the most tragic of consequences.

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“This case has not only destroyed the lives of Paul’s family but also Christopher Kearns’ own life.

“It should serve as a stark warning to people about the dangers of alcohol and the impact it can have on person’s decision making – Christopher Kearns didn’t intend to kill anybody that night, but tragically his drunken actions have resulted in the death of another man.

“I hope today’s sentencing will go some way to allowing Paul’s family to try and move forward with their lives, although I appreciate Paul’s death is something they will never fully come to terms with.”

A self-employed father-of-two, Mr Ormerod delivered fizzy pop around the estates of Lancaster for about 30 years in his recognisable yellow and white vans.

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