Gerrard 'fixer' uses legal aid to launch appeal against jail conviction... while on the run

An underworld ‘fixer’ who stopped a gangster terrorising England football star Steven Gerrard is appealing against a 14-year jail conviction – despite having fled court before he was sentenced.

Boxer and martial arts expert John Kinsella, 43, from Liverpool, vanished from Lincoln Crown Court three months ago after a judge granted him bail over the lunch break.

He was last seen chatting to two men before calmly walking out of the court grounds unchallenged and has been on the run since.

Kinsella was jailed in his absence for 13 years for his part in a £43,000 haulage yard robbery, and was given 12 months for dangerous driving after being pursued by police from the scene at up to 130mph.

Now, in an unprecedented legal move, 6ft 2in Kinsella – described by police as ‘dangerous’ – has been granted leave for his lawyers to challenge the sentence at the Appeal Court in London in October, even though he has not contacted them since absconding.

Before he went missing, Kinsella, who was one of four men jailed for the raid, left instructions with his lawyers, who defended him on Legal Aid, to appeal if they thought his sentence was excessive.

During the trial, a letter was read to the jury from Liverpool captain Gerrard’s father Paul, who said he had ‘total respect’ for Kinsella after he stopped a gang boss known as ‘The Psycho’ terrorising his son.

The letter said the gangster – whom Kinsella identified in court as George Bromley Junior – had threatened to shoot Steven in the legs and, after his car was smashed up and he was chased home after training, a family friend introduced them to Kinsella.

Mr Gerrard added: ‘I told him about the ongoing threats and violence. John reassured myself and my family he would resolve this nightmare and not to worry.

'From that day forward, we have never had any more threats from the Liverpool underworld. Steven and I have total respect for John for what he did for us.’

Steven Gerrard and wife Alex were terrorised by gangsters

Asked in court how he stopped the intimidation against Steven, Kinsella said: ‘I took steps. I spoke to George Bromley Junior.

'I told him to stop it and leave him alone. After I had spoken to him, he followed my advice.’

Now taxpayers face a bill for thousands of pounds as Kinsella’s solicitor Chris Milligan and leading criminal barrister Gordon Aspden make the appeal in his absence.

Mr Milligan said: ‘I am unable to comment on the case because it is still the subject of judicial proceedings at the Court of Appeal.’

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: ‘The law does not prevent defendants tried and convicted in their absence from seeking leave to appeal. Leave to appeal is only granted by the courts on a case-by-case basis.’

Kinsella’s defence team has received about £15,000 so far under the Legal Aid scheme.

Mr Milligan’s firm, Bird & Co, of Grantham, has been paid around £6,000 and Mr Aspden is understood to have been paid £500 to £600 a day for appearing for 11 days at Lincoln Crown Court.

The lawyers will also have been able to claim about £3,000 more between them for preparing the case.