Wigan court round-up

A Wigan pervert who admitted having extreme pornography involving an animal and indecent images of children has been spared an immediate spell behind bars.

Paul Melling, from Ashton, had already pleaded guilty to three charges related to a haul of photos and films at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court and has now been sentenced by a Bolton Crown Court judge.

In the most shocking admission the 52-year-old, of Eastwell Road, owned up to having a picture portraying a person performing a sex act on a pig “which was grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character”.

Melling also admitted making vile images and footage involving children.

There were three indecent moving images of a youngster which fell into the most serious Category A and a further 25 photos and films of children in Category C.

The offences relate to a period of several months between June 2018 and March 2019.

He was given a 15-month prison sentence but this was suspended for 24 months. Melling must also carry out 60 hours of unpaid work, is the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and must sign on the sex offenders’ register for the same amount of time.

A man has admitted to an attack and to being caught with cannabis and a knuckleduster.

James Higgins, 33, of Rugby Road, Leigh, pleaded guilty to assaulting Britney Cameron by beating on October 6 and having the offensive weapon and class B drug in Wigan six days later.

Both were confiscated by Wigan magistrates who adjourned the case for sentencing on December 11.

A man has admitted to driving dangerously while under the influence of alcohol.

Jake Needle, 28, of Wyre Avenue, Platt Bridge, appeared before Wigan justices to plead guilty to appalling motoring in a Renault Laguna on Croft Lane, Lowton on October 2 and also to having 61 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

The bench ordered that he be sent to Bolton Crown Court for sentencing on December 9.

A man has denied being at the wheel of a car while four times over the drink-drive limit.

It is alleged that 40-year-old David Oliver, of Darlington Street, Wigan, gave a reading of 142 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath (the legal limit is 35) when police stopped a Vauxhall Vectra on Wallgate on October 7.

But he pleaded not guilty to the single charge when he appeared before borough magistrates and the case was adjourned until March 1 for a trial.

A woman has been accused of attacking two people at the borough’s psychiatric unit.

Collette Smith, 32, of Laurus Mews, Worsley Hall, is charged with assaulting Jill Smith and David Cooper by beating at Atherleigh Park Hospital on April 4.

Wigan magistrates adjourned the case until December 9.

A man has admitted threatening residents with a knife.

Andrew Farrimond, 33, of Glenside, Appley Bridge, appeared before Wigan and Leigh magistrates to face charges of menacing people on Langfield, Lowton, on June 26 while armed with a blade. He was released on unconditional bail while reports are prepared before his sentence at the same court on December 3.

A Wigan pensioner has denied an enormous catalogue of historical sex offences but will only go on trial in a year’s time.

Roy Whittle, of St Clement’s Court off Worsley Mesnes Drive, faces no fewer than 31 separate charges.

The 78-year-old is accused of indecent assaults, gross indecency and sexual activity with under-age boys and men.

The alleged incidents span more than a quarter of century between 1978 and 2005.

Appearing before a Bolton Crown Court judge he pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

Whittle is accused of 10 charges of indecently assaulting a boy.

He also faces three charges of gross indecency and five of buggery with the same boy, as well as one allegation of indecently assaulting the same person as a man aged over 16.

He then faces a further four charges of indecent assault on a second boy as well as four counts of inciting him into sexual activity and three of sexually touching him.

Whittle also faces a charge of sexually touching an unnamed boy.

The allegations involving the first complainant span from 1978 and 1987, while those concerning the second youngster are alleged to have happened between 2001 and 2005.

Whittle was bailed until the start of his trial which, because of a legal system backlog caused by the Covid pandemic, is scheduled to begin on November 8 2021.

A 20-year-old man has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving while uninsured and having no licence.

Daniel Wright, of Bakehouse Close, Newtown, also admitted to having a quantity of cannabis with him when police stopped his Golf GTI on Norfolk Street on September 17.

The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports by Wigan magistrates who bailed him to return to them on December 10.

An interim driving ban was imposed.

A Wigan teenager has been given a suspended detention order for being armed with a blade in the south coast resort of Torquay.

Anthony Barrington, 18, of Forest Avenue, Beech Hill, appeared before borough magistrates to admit to having the lock knife on April 16 then, having been arrested for it by Devon Police, failed to appear before Newton Abbot justices on September 25.

He was given four months’ detention but it was suspended for 12 months.

Barrington must also observe a night-time curfew until February 11 and pay £213 in costs and a victim services surcharge.

A woman who attacked two paramedics has been given a curfew.

Ann Molyneux, 46, of Sillitoe Drive, Wigan, pleaded guilty to assaulting emergency workers Craig Hough and Patrick Lewis by beating on June 7.

She will be electronically tagged and unable to leave her home between 7pm and 7am until February 11, must complete 20 hours of rehabilitation activities and pay £345, most of which is compensation to her victims.

A man has been cleared of drink driving because of a faulty breathalyser.

Tony Middlehurst, 26, of Downall Green Road, Ashton, had been charged with having 44 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath when police stopped him on Wigan Road in a Vauxhall Caddy on February 10.

But the hearing was told that there was “inconsistent calibration on the intoxyliser reading” and so the charge was withdrawn.

However, Middlehurst did admit to driving the vehicle without insurance that day and he faces a £569 bill comprising a victim services surcharge, costs and a £440

fine.

A young man who breached a non-molestation order by going to a street from which he was banned has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Paul Billington, 25, of Thirlmere Road, Golborne, appeared before Wigan magistrates to admit being outside his victim Leanne Dickinson’s house in Mayfield Street, Atherton, on August 7, thus breaking an order issued by Wigan Family Court.

The bench told Billington that he had shown “blatant disregard” for the court order and sentenced him to a 16-week jail term although it was suspended for two

years.

He was also ordered to attend an alcohol treatment programme, take part in 20 days of rehabilitation activities and complete 40 hours of unpaid work.

A two-year restraining order was placed against his approaching Ms Dickinson or Mayfield Street and he must pay £622 in court costs and a victim services surcharge.

A Wigan man who admitted assaulting three people has been given a community sentence.

Mark Ricketts, from Pemberton, had initially denied three charges of assault by beating but later changed his pleas to guilty at a later Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court hading.

He admitted an attack on Jade Shaw on May 9 and also pleaded guilty to assaulting both Tim Barton and Christine Shaw on or about the same date.

The 53-year-old Ricketts, of Holden Walk, Pemberton, was told to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities, a restraining order was imposed against his having contact with Jade Shaw and he must pay a fine, costs and victim surcharge totalling

£508.

A thief who went shopping with a debit card he had just stolen is awaiting sentence.

David Dahl had denied stealing £60 in cash plus bank cards in a wallet from Ralph Gregory but after a trial at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court he was found guilty of the theft and also turning up at Tesco later that day in January to make purchases with one of them.

The 48-year-old of School Street, Ince, did, however, admit to assaulting PC Sean Robinson three days later.

Dahl was released on unconditional bail until he is sentenced at the same court on December 3.

A man who trashed a Wigan hotel room is facing a £500 bill.

Robert Marsh, 35, of Hope Carr Lane, Leigh, appeared before borough magistrates to admit causing £400 damages to accommodation at the Mercure Hotel on Orchard Street on November 9.

As well as paying for the damage he also has to fork out for court costs and a victim services surcharge.

A motorist who refused to give a breath sample after police caught him driving without a licence or insurance has been banned from the road for 16 months.

Marlon Alker, 30, of Enfield Road, Ince, appeared before Wigan justices to admit the three motoring infringements committed when officers stopped a Mercedes Sprinter van on Catherine Street on April 5.

A fine, victim services surcharge and court costs mean he also has £470 to pay.

A Wigan teenager has admitted holding up rail services by trespassing on the lines.

Miles Roper appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to obstructing a train or carriages while on the tracks in Lurdin Lane, Standish, on June 26.

Magistrates released the 19-year-old of Copeland Drive, Standish, on unconditional bail until his sentencing on December 2 to give time for reports to be prepared.

A man who sent a threatening message and attacked another man has been given a community sentence.

Andrew Brown, 38, of Marsh Green, appeared before Wigan magistrates to admit to assaulting Stephen Townley by beating and sending a message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing

character.

The bench ordered him to take in an alcohol rehabilitation programme, complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay his victim £150 in compensation and £90 to victim services.

A Wigan man has admitted to having more than 1,000 indecent images of children on his computer.

John Glynn, of Hawthorn Avenue, Hindley, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge to face three charges.

The 63-year-old had been accused of making 347 indecent images of children which were in the most serious Category A.

He was further charged with making 252 Category B indecent images and 565 Category C pictures, all of them involving children.

Glynn pleaded guilty to all three offences which happened in a period between December 2017 and June 2019.

He was released on bail until his sentencing at the same court on December 15.

A man caught in public armed with a knife has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Daniel Wilcock, 25, of Morris Street, Scholes, admitted to Wigan magistrates that he had a locking knife with him in Orchard Street on June

29.

He was given a 12-week prison sentence but it was suspended for a year.

Wilcock must complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities and pay £213 in court costs and a victim surcharge.

A woman has been accused of smuggling phones and drugs into Wigan’s jail.

Wendy Roberts, 47, of Tegid, Wrexham, faces charges of bringing, throwing or otherwise conveying cocaine, cannabis and two mobiles to Hindley Prison on April 30.

The matter can only be dealt with at crown court and so Wigan magistrates immediately sent the case to be heard by a Bolton judge on December 9 before which time Roberts is on unconditional bail.