Thursday, 5pm - A CONVICTED robber who claimed he acted as Steven Gerrard's underworld fixer has won a three-year reduction in his jail term at the Court of Appeal - even though he is still on-the-run.
John Kinsella, 44, of Mile End, Liverpool, was sentenced to a total of 14 years and three months in prison at Lincoln Crown Court in April for his involvement in a robbery at the James Irlam Haulage yard in Trent Road, Grantham.
During the March 2006 robbery, a night watchman was tied up by a gang of up to nine men, wearing balaclavas and camouflage clothing.
Kinsella was captured on the outskirts of Greater Manchester after a high-speed chase with police on the A1 and M62.
But yesterday, despite the fact that Kinsella absconded just as his trial came to an end and has never been found, top judges ruled that his jail term was "manifestly excessive" and slashed it by three years.
Dealing with the case, Lord Justice Moses said he found it a "curious business" that a man on-the-run from the law was appealing a sentence when he was not even in custody.
During his trial on the robbery charge, Kinsella claimed that he had helped the Liverpool and England star Steven Gerrard after he was threatened by a shady underworld gangster.
If he is caught, Kinsella will serve 11 years and three months.
E-mail your news and views to comment@granthamjournal.co.uk
Don't forget your copy of the Grantham Journal this Friday!