Terror as knife pulled on drinker in Wigan town centre

Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court heard that Mark Davies was drinking outside a pub on Millgate on Wednesday July 3 when Stewart Johnson mistakenly thought he had been shouting towards him.

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Someone else then intervened.

Tess Kenyon, prosecuting, told the hearing: “At some point Mr Davies states that the defendant pulled out a knife and said, ‘Come on then’.

“Obviously this is an offence that has occurred in the town centre, in drink, which aggravates it.”

She said the weapon was described as a “steak knife”.

The blade had a cutting edge of more than three inches.

Johnson, 38, of Keble Grove, Leigh, pleaded guilty to threatening Mr Davies with a knife in such a way that there was an immediate risk of serious physical harm being inflicted upon him.

A separate offence of having a knife in a public place was withdrawn by the prosecution.

Both Ms Kenyon and Johnson’s solicitor Nick Woosey told the bench that they believed the case should be committed to the crown court for sentencing.

The magistrates agreed and Johnson was remanded on unconditional bail until a hearing at Bolton Crown Court on Wednesday August 21.

They asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the probation service for the judge.