Man assaulted girl, 13, in Wigan pub

Andrew Klieve, of The Beeches, Atherton, was due to be sentenced on Tuesday following the incident at The Squirrel pub in Higher Ince.

But magistrates were not satisfied with a report prepared ahead of sentencing and decided to adjourn the hearing for a fuller report.

Wigan And Leigh Magistrates’ Court heard 50-year-old Klieve was found guilty of assault by beating after a trial earlier this month.

Katie Beattie, prosecuting, said the 13-year-old girl was standing at a bar hatch in the pub when she noticed Klieve staring at her.

The teenager described him as “looking weird” and said it as was if he was looking through her. A few minutes later he walked towards her and grabbed her waist, so she pushed him off. Miss Beattie said Klieve then grabbed the girl’s wrists and pulled her towards him.

The girl shouted for help and people in the pub told him to let her go, including a member of staff who approached him with a baseball bat. Klieve let go of the girl, finished his drink and walked off, the court heard.

Miss Beattie said the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was “very confused and uneasy” about what happened.

Miss Beattie said Klieve was not interviewed at the police station because he threatened to thrown urine at officers.

Andrea Woods, defending, said Klieve was not familiar with the pub and approached the girl to talk to her, assuming she was an adult.

She said she had been told he refused to speak to anyone at the police station and had not heard about the threat to officers.

Magistrates decided to adjourn sentencing until they had more information in a fuller pre-sentence report.

Peter Rogerson, chairman of the bench, said: “The reports we have got are not satisfactory.” Klieve will be sentenced at the same court on Friday, July 13.

He was remanded on bail with conditions not to contact the witnesses, not to go to Manchester Road in Ince and the pub, and to live and sleep at his home address.