Man charged with stabbing Wigan police officer after armed robbery

Stephen Unsworth, 35, has been charged with three counts of robbery, section 18 assault and possession of an offensive weapon.

He appeared at Wigan Magistrates Court on Tuesday October 9, and spoke only to confirm his name and address, which he gave as Constantia Street. He will next appear at Bolton Crown Court on November 5. He did not enter a plea.Shortly before 10.05pm on Sunday 7 October 2018, police were called to reports of an armed robbery at AM to PM stores on Gidlow Lane. Within minutes, an officer was at the scene but a man fled in the direction of Birch Street. The officer pursued him and a short struggle ensued, at which point the officer – a man in his 40s – was stabbed repeatedly to the point that the knife snapped. Thankfully the officer was wearing body armour and only suffered minor injuries to his arm.