Week in court: here are the latest criminal cases before the courts involving people from Wigan borough

Maximillien Halls, 24, of Marchwood Close, Blackrod, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge to plead guilty to possession of crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply and possession of criminal property, namely cash. His arrest came after a police raid on a house in Ledgard Avenue, Leigh, in June last year during which what officers described as a "substantial quantity of class A substances" were recovered.

Halls was given a two-year custodial sentence but it was suspended for the same period.

He was ordered to complete rehabilitation activities and unpaid work as part of his punishment.

A suspended prison sentence and three-year ban has been handed to a Wigan man who committed a host of motoring offences, including drug-driving and driving while disqualified.

Craig Close, 36, of St Mark’s Avenue, Newtown, has now been sentenced after pleading guilty to seven offences over two dates.

On November 19, he drove a Vauxhall Corsa dangerously in Newburgh and Parbold, while over the limit for cocaine and a metabolite, and without insurance and a driving licence.

He then drove a Mercedes C180 while disqualified and without insurance on Holden Road, Leigh, on July 17.

Wigan magistrates imposed a 32-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered Close to do drug rehabilitation for six months and 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was disqualified from driving for 36 months and told to pay £85 prosecution costs.

The trial of a Wigan man accused of breaching a restraining order five times in a matter of days was scrapped when he changed his pleas to guilty.

Dean Hodkinson, 38, of Canal Street, Springfield, had denied five charges of harassment by breaching a restraining order imposed at Chester Crown Court in October 2024.

But he has now admitted that he sent messages to a woman he was banned from contacting on March 31 and April 2, 3, 7 and 8.

Manchester magistrates imposed a 10-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and told him to do 10 days of rehabilitation activities.

He must pay £300 prosecution costs and a £154 surcharge.

A Wigan man who admitted to outraging public decency has been locked up for a year.

Craig Burchall, 54, of Derby Road, Golborne, pleaded guilty being naked outside his home on July 28.

He also confessed to two counts of breaching a domestic abuse protection order imposed on August 18 by having contact with a woman on August 19 and 27.

Appearing at Bolton Crown Court for sentence, he was given a total custodial term of 12 months.

A Wigan 28-year-old has walked free from court after claims that he bullied and attacked a woman for more than two years were dropped.

Stephen Baynham, of Kendal Street, Springfield, had appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge to plead not guilty to a charge of coercive and controlling behaviour towards a named female between August 31 2023 and November 24 2025, namely that he "assaulted her multiple times and used violence to get his way by making threats and that this had a serious effect on her."

He also denied causing her actual bodily harm in October and three counts of assault by beating during November.

A trial had been due to be held this autumn, but the prosecution offered no evidence and so he was told by the judge that he was free to go.

The case of a 57-year-old accused of sexual communications with a Wigan 13-year-old has collapsed.

A trial had been due to take place at Bolton Crown Court this autumn over an allegation that Michael Roberts, of Leyland Road, Southport, attempted to engage in sexual conversations with a girl for his own gratification between March 17 and May 15 2023.

But prosecutors later offered no evidence and so the defendant was allowed to walk free.

A 62-year-old Wigan woman has been convicted of dealing hard drugs.

Donna Glynn, of Collett Close, Scholes, had denied being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine on April 23 last year.

But following a four-day trial at Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square, a jury found her guilty of both crimes by a majority of 11 to one.

Sentencing will take place at the same court on November 6.

A provisional trial date has been set for a Carlisle 33-year-year-old accused of sexually assault in Wigan.

Nicholas Milligan, of Lowther Street, Carlisle, is accused of launching a sex attack on a woman on January 3 this year.

At his latest hearing he did not enter a plea, but a trial was provisionally scheduled for March 22 next year, should he deny it.

In the meanwhile he has now been remanded into custody.

A Wigan man has denied making thousands of vile images of children.

Nigel McDonough, 38, of Beaumont Grove, Orrell, appeared at Bolton Crown Court to plead not guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, which involve 499 pictures in category A (the most serious), 294 in category B and 2,894 in category C.

He also denied possessing 22 extreme pornographic images involving animals.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between November 6 and December 14, 2022.

He was remaded into custody until a trial at Liverpool Crown Court beginning on March 29 next year.

A Wigan man accused of falsely imprisoning three people and making threats to kill is to face a fitness to plead hearing.

Philip Owen, 41, of Diggle Street, Springfield, went before a Bolton Crown Court judge in relation to offences alleged to have taken place in Westhoughton between 9pm on Thursday, April 9 and 7.30am on Friday, April 10.

He is charged with the false imprisonment of three people, two counts of child neglect, aggravated burglary with a knife, making threats to kill and sending a message threatening death or serious harm.

While he has not yet entered any pleas, a provisional trial date of February 22 next year has been scheduled.

However on November 12, a hearing will be held to judge the defendant's fitness to plead.

After a two-year wait for a trial, two Wigan borough people have been found not guilty of robbery after one of them admitted to an assault instead.

Shaun Carter, 46, of Glebe Street, Standish, and Natalie Todd, 44, of Car Bank Street, Atherton, had pleaded not guilty to robbery when they appeared at Bolton Crown Court in 2024 and a trial this autumn was fixed.

But when the moment came Carter admitted to causing actual bodily harm to the complainant and the robbery allegations against both of them were discharged. T

odd, however, was made a subject of a two-year restraining order preventing contact with the victim while Carter must wait until October 29 for sentence to be handed down for the attack.

A Leigh man has been jailed after admitting to drug dealing and multiple counts of theft.

Ben Duffy, 31, of Wigan Road, appeared before borough justicesto plead guilty to possessing on June 29 last year heroin and cocaine with intent to supply them plus possession of criminal proceeds, namely cash.

He also admitted to nine counts of stealing hundreds of pounds worth of laundry products and confectionery from Leigh One Stop Shop in July and August this year plus one of stealing meat from Leigh Sainsbury on June 6.

There were also bail breach admissions. Returning to court for sentence, he was given a total of 18 weeks in custody and ordered to pay around £1,500 in compensation.

A Wigan 38-year-old has been accused of performing a lewd act on a train.

Levi Ashton, of Darlington Street East, Scholes, appeared before Manchester justices to face a charge of outraging public decency at Victoria station in the city on September 26.

He is further charged with breaching a sexual harm prevention order the day before by having a device with internet access when banned and also to perverting the course of justice by giving a false name on that same occasion.

Ashton was remanded into custody until he makes his first appearance at Manchester Crown Court on November 2.

A Wigan borough man has finally pleaded guilty to a very serious assault.

A trial had begun at Manchester Crown Court, after David Foster denied intending to cause a named male grievous bodily harm on April 18 and an alternative, lesser charge of unintentional GBH.

But before the jury could be sworn in, the 44-year-old, of Samuel Street, Atherton, changed his plea to GBH without intent to guilty and the prosecution accepted this lesser admission.

Sentencing will take place on November 9 and another charge of assaulting a woman by beating on the same occasion as the more violent attack will be allowed to lie on file.

A 2029 trial date has been scheduled for a 37-year-old who denies multiple rapes and physical assaults in Wigan.

Tresor Hokoko, of Norton Road, Manchester, had previously appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge to plead not guilty to raping the same woman three times between January 1 2017 and December 31 2024.

He also denied causing a woman grievous bodily harm between November 1 2015 and December 31 2016, and the same female actual bodily harm between April 5 and 8 2024.

At a new hearing a trial was scheduled to begin on January 22 2029 due to court backlogs.

Hokoko is on conditional bail until then.

A Wigan father and son have been accused of having an out-of-control banned dog which savaged two people and another pet.

Ian Nicholas, 48, and Cameron Nicholas, 22, of Amesbury Drive, Winstanley, appeared before borough magistrates facing the same two charges relating to an incident on March 26 this year in the Nottinghamshire village of Bilsthorpe.

One was that they were in possession of an XL bully in breach of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.

The second was that they were in charge of the animal, named Cali, which attacked another dog and bit both Shannon Green and James Gibson.

They were remanded on unconditional bail until they attend Nottingham Magistrates' Court on October 28 when they are expected to enter their pleas.

A Wigan 30-year-old accused of a series of offences which allegedly culminated in a rooftop drama has been sent to crown court in custody.

Ryan Renshaw, of no fixed address, faces the following charges: burglary, two counts of criminal damage, aggravated vehicle-taking with dangerous driving, handling stolen goods, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified, obstructing an officer and breach of court bail.

His arrest followed a police car chase on Sunday October 4 followed by an incident during which a man took to the roof of a property in Lord Street, Hindley, before being talked down.

The case has now been sent to Liverpool Crown Court where he will make a first appearance on November 3.

Renshaw remains behind bars before then.