Mum bursts into tears after bumping into judge who sentenced her son in Chinese restaurant

On his retirement following a 50 year career in the law, one of the North West's most senior judges recalled a memorable moment during his final few months. Judge David Aubrey KC, a judge with 18 years experience who presided over cases at Liverpool Crown Court, was enjoying a meal out with his wife when he recognised some other diners.

He told the Echo: "I can tell you this story. I sentenced someone to a very merciful sentence about two months ago, having called his mother [to give evidence to the court]. That is something I have done on frequent occasions because you learn so much about a defendant. It was a merciful sentence, but mercy is commended provided that it is justified...

"That was a sentence I imposed on a Friday afternoon. That evening, I was in a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown with my wife. A family came in just before I was leaving. I recognised that family, and I went over to the mother of the family and said 'You don't recognise me, do you?'.

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"She looked at me bewildered, thinking she had met me somewhere but couldn't think where. I said to her on my way out, 'I spoke to you in court'.

"It was the mother of the male defendant who was also there with his stepfather, his younger brother and his girlfriend. I emphasise that they weren't there celebrating, they had just gone out for a family meal. She broke down in tears, and then the defendant came up to me and said 'I won't let you down'. I felt that the merciful sentence hopefully will be and is justified."

Judge Aubrey concedes that not every defendant he has happened to bump into in the wild has been quite so happy to see him, in particular those who he prosecuted