Raft of Wigan crown court cases held up by ongoing barristers' strike

Jordan Collier, 28, of Fell Street, Leigh, and Callum Hugill, 23, of Chapel Street, Leigh, had pleaded guilty to a host of offences, including attacking five people, that took place on January 17.

They assaulted Alam Kabir and Rohan Kenny at Asda in Leigh, stole a bottle of alcohol worth £30 from the supermarket, and stole a crate of beer worth £16 from Lidl in Wigan.

On the same day, Collier assaulted PCs Clarke and Olson-Hill and Hugill assaulted Special Constable Lavery.

They had also been charged with entering a property on Lord Street, Leigh, with intent to steal, for which they will stand trial. Due to the industrial action though, the hearings have been put off until October 31.

An allegation that Hugill stole tools and machinery worth between £4,000 and £5,000 from Tower's Building, on Wallgate, Wigan, was dismissed when no evidence was offered to the court.

Benjamin Devlin, 26, is accused of causing Leticia Cook and Stefan Gradwell grievous bodily harm in Wigan on July 14 2021.

An inmate of HMP Berwyn, he had been scheduled to stand trial at Bolton in June, but now it has been further delayed until November 3.

Jamie Smith had originally been due to stand trial for dangerous driving in January this year, the charge relating to an incident on Coronation Avenue, Spar Road and Hillside Avenue in Atherton on February 20, 2020.

That was adjourned until September and now the 31-year-old of Atherton Road in Hindley has been told that the case has been put back again to November 7.

Drug dealer Martin Bradshaw isn't going anywhere as he is serving a three-and-a-half-year prison term for drug dealing and motoring offences including dangerous driving.

The 34-year-old of Ashbourne Avenue, Aspull, who stashed his cocaine in a coffee tin, had also been due to face a Proceeds of Crime hearing at Bolton at which any ill-gotten gains of his might be seized.

However that has now been delayed until January 19.

Adam Willerton, 38, of Sandringham Drive, Leigh, had expected to be sentenced for taking an axe to the car park at Asda in Leigh on July 2 and threatening John Saro.

But his case too has been shelved until November 7.

And 21-year-old Tyler Huddart, of Rose Hill Avenue, Pemberton, was going to learn his fate from a judge after pleading guilty at Wigan Magistrates' Court to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police and driving without a licence or insurance in Bolton on July 3.

Now he will remain on bail after his sentencing hearing was rearranged for October 25.