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Flint Town United Ex-Midfielder Acquitted of Serious Charges
A former midfielder for Flint Town United, Patrick Lacey, has been acquitted of charges including attempted murder and conspiracy to murder after the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to present evidence against him. The court heard that Lacey had been accused alongside three other individuals in connection with a shooting incident that occurred in Huyton last November.
The incident, which took place on Radway Road at approximately 10.30pm on November 28, involved a victim in his twenties who was critically injured and subsequently taken to hospital. It was reported that he had been shot with a sawn-off shotgun by two suspects on an electric bike.
Lacey, aged 33 and residing in Crosby, faced a series of serious charges, including conspiracy to murder Jordan “Dusty” Thompson, possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm, and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. He has previously entered not guilty pleas to all accusations.
The legal proceedings were originally scheduled to continue with a trial on October 5. However, on September 25, during a court hearing, the CPS informed the court of their decision to offer no evidence against Lacey, leading to not guilty verdicts being recorded on his behalf.
Alongside Lacey, Bernard Flynn, aged 61 from Bootle, was also found not guilty of the same charges on September 25. Two other co-defendants, John Jones, 35, from Allerton, and John Hughes, 32, with no fixed address, attended a pre-trial review via video link and are set to return on October 5 for further proceedings, leading to a trial on October 12 before High Court judge Mr Justice Bright.
Lacey’s football career began at Tranmere Rovers before he moved on to the academies of Liverpool and Manchester United. He has also played for various clubs including Altrincham, Barrow, Accrington Stanley, Southport, Chester, and Warrington Rylands. In addition to football, he has pursued a career in boxing, with his most recent bout taking place at the MandS Bank Arena on February 7.
