Wigan's week in court

In last week’s Wigan Observer Week in Court page we published an article about a closure order being imposed on a home in Aspull.

The address given was given as 12 Crawford Avenue when in fact the address is 12 Crawford Close.

This was entirely down to human error and we apologise for the upset caused.

A Wigan 37-year-old has pleaded not guilty to domestic abuse and acquisitive offences.

Scott Smith, 37, of no fixed address, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge to deny intentional suffocation, common assault and controlling and coercive behaviour towards wife Shelly, the last of which was allegedly between May 18 and November 11, namely isolating her from family and friends, followed her and verbally and physically abusing her.

Smith has also pleaded not guilty to taking a Nissan Qashqai without the owner's consent, burglary of an address in St Elizabeth's Road, Aspull, in order to steal bank cards, theft and causing £300 damage to Ms Smith's phone, all on December 30.

A trial date of June 11 was set but Smith will appear again before the court on March 5.

A Wigan man who was accused of domestically abusing his wife for eight years has walked free from court after the case against him collapsed.

Steven Sharrock, 49, of Lyndon Avenue, Shevington, had faced a single charge of controlling or coercive behaviour against his partner between December 29, 2015 and December 30, 2023.

But when the case came to Bolton Crown Court for a further hearing, it was discontinued and Mr Sharrock was told he was free to go.

Sentencing of a Wigan man for drug peddling offences has been delayed.

Lee Roberts, 44, of Gelbranter Avenue, Ince, had been due to learn his fate at Bolton Crown Court after admitting being in possession of class C drugs diazepam, flubromazolam and tramadol with intent to supply in Wigan on February 4, 2022.

He had denied a charge of possessing criminal property - cash - but that allegation was later dropped.

He will now be sentenced on May 15.

A 43-year-old Wigan man has denied assaulting two police officers, but will have to wait until the autumn of next year to try to prove it.

Carl Cunliffe, of Brown Street, Bickershaw, is charged with the assault by beating of PCs White and Wells on February 24 last year.

At his first appearance at Bolton Crown Court he was told that a two-day trial would begin on October 23, 2025, although he will make a further appearance at the court on April 17 this year.

A young Wigan man has admitted making and distributing indecent images of children.

Kieran Atkinson, 20, of Belle Green Lane, Ince, stood before a Bolton Crown Court judge to plead guilty to charges of creating images, 212 of which fell into the most serious category of abuse - A - plus 186 category B pictures and 208 category C between March 2014 and June 2022.

He also admitted to possessing and distributing a banned picture of a child.

Atkinson will learn his fate on April 4 before which he is on bail while a pre-sentence report is prepared.

A Wigan woman has finally been punished for animal cruelty offences for which she was convicted more than six years ago.

It was in November 2017 that Lorraine Ashurst was found guilty of neglecting three ponies by not seeking treatment for their lameness.

But then she twice failed to turn up for sentence the following year, thus breaching bail.

The now 59-year-old of Cameron Street, Leigh, had pleaded not guilty to mistreating the animals on Barlow’s Farm at Hindley but was convicted by magistrates after a trial.

RSPCA prosecutors had brought charges in relation to a Palomino mare, a chestnut gelding and a grey mare, which were each found with injuries after inspectors visited the site off Close Lane.

The Palomino was lame with laminitis and a foot abscess, the gelding too had an abscess of his foreleg and the grey mare was suffering osteoarthritis to her foreleg.

The court heard that Ashurst failed to take medical measures that would ease their suffering and also neglected to seek parasitic worm control treatment for them.

Sentencing had been due to take place on several occasions last year, but again Ashurst failed to appear in court and so an arrest warrant was issued.

Now finally brought back before Wigan and Leigh justices she was barred from keeping animals for two years, ordered to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities and told to pay a fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £840.

She had also been charged with bail breaches but these were dropped because it was decided it did not serve the interests of justice to pursue them.

A Wigan man has been accused of begging in Manchester city centre.

Richard Pennington, 39, of Bexhill Drive, Hindley Green, is charged with begging outside Burger King, at Piccadilly Gardens, on December 20.

He is due to appear at Manchester City Magistrates' Court on March 20.

He was remanded on unconditional bail until then.

A Wigan man is set to stand trial accused of strangling a woman.

Dean Banks, 34, of Montrose Avenue, Kitt Green, is alleged to have intentionally strangled her on February 4.

Wigan justices sent the case to Bolton Crown Court, where the next hearing will take place on March 11.

He was remanded in custody.

A Wigan man has been charged with a racially aggravated assault at Southport railway station.

Robert O'Hara-Barton, 47, of Leigh Street, Wigan, is alleged to have attacked the man on September 12.

He is also accused of failing to attend Sefton Magistrates' Court on December 13 while on bail.

He will next appear at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court on April 4 and was remanded on conditional bail.

A Wigan schoolboy has admitted to launching an horrific attack.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Manchester and Salford magistrates to plead guilty to a single charge of maliciously and unlawfully intending to cause another named male grievous bodily harm on February 6 last year.

The charge is for the most serious form of assault after attempted murder.

He was released on conditional bail pending a sentencing hearing at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court on March 7.

A 16-year-old from Wigan has denied taking part in a carjacking in which the vehicle was then crashed.

The youngster, who cannot be named, appeared before Manchester justices to plead not guilty to the aggravated taking of a Dacia Duster on February 2 then crashing it into a lamppost and fence.

However, he has admitted to dangerous driving on the same day.

The defendant also denies stealing a £1,358 pedal bike in Platt Bridge on September 16 last year.

He was bailed until reappearing before the same court on June 13.

A Wigan 42-year-old has been accused of drug dealing and having a CS gas canister as a weapon.

Gary Gittins, of Woodland Avenue, Hindley Green, stood before borough justices to face charges of conspiring to supply cocaine between March and May last year, to possessing cannabis with intent to supply it on May 11, 2023 and possessing the weapon with the authority of the Secretary of State on the same occasion.

He was remanded into custody pending a first appearance at Carlisle Crown Court on March 13.

A Wigan man is facing assault and serious stalking charges.

Craig Bithell, 43, of Crantock Road, Pemberton, stood before borough magistrates charged with stalking a named woman involving serious harm and distress between January 25 and February 7 this year by sending numerous text messages and emails and to assaulting the woman, causing her actual bodily harm on January 27.

He was released on conditional bail pending a hearing on January 9 next year before Manchester and Salford justices.

No pleas have yet been entered.

Two Jack Russells weren't fed and watered properly and kept in a cage only suitable for one, a court heard.

Shaun Bilsborough, 37, of St Mary's Road, Aspull, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to a single charge of causing unnecessary suffering to protected animals over a prolonged period after the discovery of the dogs on February 1.

The bench remanded him into custody until his sentencing hearing at Bolton Crown Court on March 8, among the reasons for his incarceration being his criminal record and the breaching of a suspended sentence.

Bilsborough is being prosecuted under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act.

A 24-year-old has appeared before borough justices accused of burglary and an attempted break-in.

Callum Edwards, of Chapel Street, Pemberton, is charged with stealing a bike after breaking into a house in Sherborne Road, Orrell, interfering with a Honda CRV and trying to burgle an address on Smith Avenue, all on August 16 last year.

He was remanded into custody until he appears before a Bolton Crown Court judge on February 23.

Edwards has not yet entered any pleas.

A 33-year-old woman has been jailed for four weeks after admitting to using threatening words or behaviour.

Wigan magistrates imposed a custodial sentence on Chantelle Hurst, of no fixed address, because she had shown a flagrant disregard for people and their property.

She must also pay £154 to victim services.

A woman who posted offensive and derogatory messages on TikTok has been given a conditional discharge.

Courtney Swindell, 22, of Hancock Close, Hindley, stood before borough magistrates to plead guilty to a single charge of harassment in which she published a series of distressing posts between October 1 and December 31 about a named woman last year.

The conditional discharge lasts two years, the bench also issued a restraining order preventing Swindell having contact with her victim and she must pay £111 in costs and a victim services surcharge.

A Wigan 53-year-old has been given a conditional discharge after admitting that he assaulted a man.

Arthur McClean, of Thorn Road, Higher Ince, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ian Garbett by beating him on February 8.

Manchester city magistrates handed down a two-year conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £50 compensation.

A Wigan borough woman accused of driving dangerously and being in possession of two different drugs will have her case heard at the crown court.

Hannah Collins, 28, of Rowan Meadows, Leigh, is charged with driving a white BMW dangerously on Warrington Road and the East Lancashire Road in Leigh on May 27.

She is also alleged to have had class A drug cocaine and class B drug cannabis with her on the same day, and to have failed to provide a specimen of blood for analysis.

Manchester city magistrates sent the case to Bolton Crown Court for a hearing on March 15.

She was remanded on conditional bail.

A Wigan shoplifter who made threats has been given a conditional discharge.

Kieran Wood, 35, of Livingstone Street, Ashton, appeared before borough justices to admit stealing food and alcohol from Morrisons and using threatening or abusive language against Debbie MacDonald on November 18.

He further pleaded guilty to breaking an electronic tag he was wearing on February 12.

The bench gave him a 24-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £50 compensation to Ms MacDonald and another £100 to replace the broken tag.

Sentencing of a Wigan borough man who part-strangled a woman on Christmas Day has been delayed.

Derek Holmes, 38, of Opal Grove, Leigh, had admitted to the assault at a magistrates' court hearing last month and also to being in possession of class A drug cocaine.

He had been due to be sentenced at Bolton Crown Court but more time was requested for the preparation of a report and so he will only now learn his fate on May 1.

In the meantime Holmes is on conditional bail.

A dangerous driver who failed to give a breath sample and attacked a police officer has been jailed.

Paul Law, 43, of Burns Close, Worsley Mesnes, stood before Wigan magistrates to admit driving a Renault Megane Privilege on Gower Street dangerously, refusing to give a specimen to prove whether he was drink or drug-driving or not and assaulting a PC Powell, all on February 10.

He was given a custodial sentence of 34 weeks and banned from the road for 12 months.

Law must also pay £154 to victim services.

A man who denies domestic abuse charges in Wigan will have to wait until the autumn of next year before the case comes to trial.

James Williams, 50, of Chaseley Gardens, Skelmorlie, Paisley, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court to plead not guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour against a woman between October 1 last year and January 9 and threatening a woman with a kitchen knife on January 7.

A trial date of October 28, 2025 was set at the same court, with a pre-trial preparation hearing scheduled for April 10 this year.

He is on bail before then.

A trial date has been fixed for two Wigan people accused of dealing crack cocaine and heroin.

Rosalyn Blackley, 62, of Chapel Street in Leigh, has pleaded guilty to possessing the two class A drugs with intent to supply them.

Christopher Smalley, 53, of Closebrook Road in Pemberton faces the same charges but has yet to enter pleas.

It was ordered that they face two pre-trial preparation hearings on February 26 and April 4, with a trial set to begin on October 14.