'Out of control' drug addict threatened to burn down Wigan tattoo parlour

Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court was told Stephen Greenall went to Soul Ink Tattoo Studio, on Library Street, at 12.30pm on December 8 and asked for the owner.

Mark Fox, who was working in the shop, told him he was not there and Greenall said he had 15 minutes to phone him.

Katie Beattie, prosecuting, said Mr Fox was concerned and went outside, where an altercation developed.

Greenall, 28, squared up to him, said the studio would be “torched” and threatened to kill Mr Fox.

Two other men were shouting and swearing at Mr Fox and Greenall pulled out a cosh and lunged at him, Ms Beattie said.

Mr Fox went back into the shop, but the men were shouting outside, so he went back out to tell them to leave.

Greenall started hitting the shop window with the cosh and fearing for his safety, Mr Fox punched him.

He fell in the road and Mr Fox tried to hold him down, while punching the other two men who approached him.

Passers-by, including an off-duty police officer, intervened and police were called.

Ms Beattie said police discovered Greenall also had a knuckle-duster and cocaine when he was taken to custody, and a test showed he had taken the drug.

Greenall, of Butler Street, Scholes, pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour towards Mr Fox, possession of two offensive weapons – the cosh and knuckle-duster – and possession of class A drug cocaine.

Kathryn Lloyd, defending, said that when Greenall committed the offences his life was “somewhat out of control”, and he was addicted to cocaine.

He decided to leave the country for six months and worked in Tenerife, where he managed to beat his addiction, she said.

He had been back in England for less than two weeks and now wanted the offences to be dealt with.

Ms Lloyd said: “He is presenting as a different man to that who committed these offences almost 12 months ago.”

Magistrates declined jurisdiction in the case and sent it to Bolton Crown Court, where Greenall will be sentenced on Monday, November 26.

He was remanded on bail with a condition that he must continue living at his home on Butler Street.