Nine Wigan parents are prosecuted for their truanting children

Wigan magistrates had one of their busiest ever days for dealing with child truanting cases.
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No fewer than nine parents were due to appear in the dock - an almost unprecedented number for local justices in a week - although some failed to turn up.

The punishments varied according to the individuals’ means, whether they pleaded guilty or not and whether they actually attended the hearings or not.

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One couple are facing a bill of more than £2,000 after they were proved guilty in their absence of not ensuring their son attended Marus Bridge Primary School and daughter attended Hawkley Hall High between September and December last year.

Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' CourtWigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court
Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court

Jimena Evans and John Hill, of Warrington Road, Marus Bridge, were each fined £440 for each child and when costs and victim surcharges were added to the total the full amount due came to £2,148.

In contrast Kerry Eccles, of Gorman Walk, Worsley Mesnes, appeared before the bench to plead guilty to allowing her daughter and son’s truancy from St Jude’s Primary during last year’s autumn term, and was hit with a six-month conditional discharge and must pay costs and a surcharge totalling £106.

Gerald Finlay and Joide Johnson, again of Warrington Road, Marus Bridge, are another couple now facing an identical bill to Hill and Evans after justices proved the case that they failed to send their son and daughter to Hawkley Hall High in their absence.

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So too Daniel and Natalie Murphy, of Church Street, Ince, who did not ensure their two daughters attend Cansfield High in Ashton.

Adele Greenwood, of Warrington Road, Abram, was another court no-show and will now have to pay £634 in fines and costs for her son’s continued non-appearance at St John’s CE Primary.

And Lyndsey Pennington, of Church Avenue, Bickershaw, will have to pay the same amount because she did not make sure that her daughter attended the Deanery High School and failed to face the bench.

The case of Emily Singleton, of Diamond Street, Leigh, who is accused of failing to send her son to Christ Church CE Primary, Pennington, was adjourned at the request of the prosecution.

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All the cases refer to the period of this academic year’s autumn term and so have nothing to do with coronavirus self-isolation.

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