Wigan court round-up

Round-up of cases brought before local magistrates.
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A Wigan motorist who admitted dangerous driving has been given a suspended jail sentence. John Webster, 33, of Upper Dicconson Street, Swinley, had appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to the charge and also to driving the VW Golf on Wigan Road and Thirlmere Road in Hindley, on November 5 while uninsured. Appearing before a Bolton Crown Court judge for sentence, he was given an eight-month prison term which was suspended for 18 months. Webster was also banned from the road for a year and ordered to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

A man who attacked his ex and twice smashed property belonging to her is awaiting sentence. Andrew Naylor, 33, appeared before Wigan justices to admit to assaulting Nicole Williams and wrecking a television, fireplace, bookshelves and ceramic figures together worth £2,000 on December 21. A day earlier he had also smashed her £540 phone. Naylor was released on conditional bail until sentencing on May 11.

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A man who attacked a security guard must pay him compensation and be restricted by an electronic tag. Michael Roberts, 33, of Grasmere Avenue, Ince, appeared before Wigan justices to admit assaulting John Ruttledge by beating on February 18. He was put under a 12-week night-time tagged curfew and must pay compensation, costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £330.

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

A man who denied driving dangerously but admits damaging a police cell will appear again before justices on May 5. Jonathon Cadman, 48, of Rose Court, Ince, has stood before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to driving a Ford Transit on Little Lane, Goose Green, dangerously and without proper insurance cover on March 7, but he admitted causing £50 damage to his Wigan police station cell after his arrest. The case was adjourned until a trial after which he will be sentenced for the damage.

A Wigan man who denies cannabis dealing will be tried in the autumn. Stephen Bailey, 32, of Dixon Avenue, Shevington, made his first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge having already pleaded not guilty before borough magistrates to supplying the drug between September and November 2018. His trial date was fixed for September 29.

Magistrates have cleared a man of a domestic violence attack. Daniel Meyrick, 36, of Nixon Phillips Drive, Hindley Green, had denied assaulting Melissa Lindsay by beating on June 21 on Preston Road, Standish, and following a trial justices found him not guilty.

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A man who drove off in someone else’s car has 120 hours of unpaid work to perform. Mark Dunn, 40, of Comet Road, Marsh Green, stood before borough magistrates to plead guilty to taking the Vauxhall Corsa without the owner’s consent on January 20 and driving it while uninsured. As well as the community sentence he has £180 to pay in court costs and a victim services surcharge.

A motorist caught at the wheel while under the influence of cocaine has been banned from the road for 12 months. Kerry Taylor, 44, of Leader Street, Ince, stood before Wigan magistrates to admit drug-driving a VW Golf on Northumberland Street, Whelley, on November 13. She was ordered to pay a fine, victim services surcharge and court costs totalling £239.

A man has admitted attacking his ex whom he was barred from contacting. David Tracey, 49, of Salisbury Avenue, Hindley Green, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to assaulting Gemma Lea, breaching bail conditions by contacting her and resisting arrest. He was released on conditional bail until sentencing on June 2.

A man has denied threatening his ex-wife, smashing her car windscreen and trying to break a window at her home. But 48-year-old Stuart Cox, of Princess Street, Hindley, did admit to Wigan magistrates that he breached bail conditions by trying to contact his former partner after his arrest on suspicion of the other offences. The charges he denies concern an incident at Amanda Cox’s house in Hey Street, Ince on March 24. Cox was released on bail conditional that he does not enter Hey Street nor have contact with Ms Cox unless through official channels for contact until he returns for a further hearing at the court on August 17.

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A judge will sentence a Wigan man who admits being armed with an imitation firearm and a knuckleduster. Mark Sumner, 47, of Liverpool Road, Hindley, appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to possessing the weapons in public on Blackberry Drive, and also being in possession of cannabis. All the offences happened on March 19. He was released on bail pending sentence at Bolton Crown Court on May 17 but he must live at his home address during that time and be the subject to an electronically tagged curfew at night.

A motorist has been fined and barred from the road for three months after admitting driving while disqualified and not being insured. But a charge that 34-year-old William Mullock, of Windleshaw Street, Ince, had an offensive weapon - namely an axe - in his Vauxhall Astra on New Miles Lane, Shevington, on January 23 was dismissed by Wigan magistrates. With costs and a victim services surcharge to add to his fine, Mullock has £419 to pay.

A man has been accused of launching a savage attack in the borough. Jason Main, 30, of London Street, Fleetwood, appeared before Wigan magistrates charged with maliciously wounding Dale Moran with the intent of causing grievous bodily harm - the most serious form of assault after attempted murder. The attack is alleged to have taken place in Atherton between July 15 and 18 last year. Because of the seriousness of the allegation, the bench immediately sent the case to be heard by a judge and Main was released on bail, conditional that he lives at his home address, does not enter Rosedale Avenue, Atherton, and has no contact with either Mr Moran or Kirsty Marsh. His first appearance at Bolton Crown Court will be May 17.

Two men and a woman who visited a Wigan home that was the subject of a closure order now have court bills to pay. Daniel Grinton, 31, of Spring Street, Wigan, Anthony James, 28, of Greenfield Avenue, Ince, and 44-year-old Kerry Taylor, of Scot Lane, Aspull, appeared before borough magistrates to admit attending 26 Linney Square in Scholes on November 9 at a time when only the occupants were allowed to go inside due its being a magnet for anti-social behaviour. Both men were fined and ordered to pay court costs and a victim services surcharge, Grinton having to fork out £159 and James £205. Taylor only had to pay a fine and surcharge totalling £73. A fourth person - 28-year-old Paul Seddon, of West Mount, Wigan, faces the same charge but has yet to plead. His case was adjourned until May 11. In December 35-year-old Robert Moss was also hit with a fine for entering the same address.

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A Wigan man has denied having drugs while committing driving offences. John Atherton, 35, of Horne Grove, Worsley Mesnes, appeared before borough magistrates to plead not guilty to possessing amphetamine and cannabis and also to driving a Volkswagen Golf without a licence and while uninsured in nearby Baucher Road. The case was adjourned for a July 26 trial.

A Wigan man has denied breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Simon Blakeney, 59, of Grove Place, Standish, stood before Wigan magistrates to plead not guilty to downloading Torch software for the purpose of sharing known commonly as Peer 2 Peer which he was prevented from doing by the order. He is also accused of failing to complete annual notifications in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act. The case was sent to Bolton Crown Court to be heard by a judge on May 5.

A Wigan motorist twice caught breaking the speed limit by a substantial amount has been spared a road ban because of family circumstances. Roland Tull, 42, of Girvan Crescent, Ashton, appeared before borough magistrates to admit driving his Audi at 98mph on the M62 at Rochdale on July 29 last year then breaking the 30mph speed limit by more than 40mph on Warrington Road, Marus Bridge, on September 24. Under normal circumstances this would have led to a disqualification from driving, but his defence mounted an exceptional hardship argument which the bench accepted. The hearing was told that Tull’s wife has been suffering seizures which are under medical investigation and during which time her own licence has been revoked. She works as a nurse and he has to transport her to and from work because public transport is inappropriate. The court also heard that the defendant was in the process of setting up his own business which required him to drive, that the couple have a seven-year-old son and considerable debts. As a result the bench only put six points on Tull’s licence and ordered that he pay fines, costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £239.

Eight men accused of conspiring to supply class A drugs and possessing criminal property have made a first appearance before a Bolton judge. They are Dean Smallwood, 41, of Landgate Lane, Bryn; Jamie Kenny, 31, of Ashwood Avenue, Abram; Leon Kenny, 30, of Warrington Road, Abram; Sam Causer, 31, of Egerton Street, Abram; Nathan Hart, 31, of Warrington Road, Abram; Lee Standen, 40, of Liverpool Road, Hindley; Daryl Golding, 35, of Brookland Avenue, Hindley and Ian Ormshaw, 41, of Mesnes Avenue, Wigan. They were arrested in a series of co-ordinated dawn raids by police officers from GMP’s serious and organised crime unit at various borough addresses. They are due to re-appear in court for a pre-trial preparation hearing on May 28 and a provisional trial date of November 8 was set.

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Ten people have denied being members of a major cocaine-peddling ring in Wigan. Some of the accused are related to each other. Charges against some of the older suspects stretch back almost a decade and continue through to June last year. They are from Ashton unless otherwise stated. Standing before a Bolton Crown Court judge were Michael Talbot, 40, of Hamilton Road; Victoria Talbot, 45, of Kilburn Avenue; Anthony Whittaker, 54, of Moxon Way; George Witter, 19, of Hardwick Road; Marc Talbot, 48, of HMP Manchester; Thomas Tither, 63, of Ince Green Lane, Ince; Cameron Talbot, 23, of Langholm Road; Jane Witter, 36, of Trinity Gardens; David Barnes, 47, of Tenbury Driver; and Paul Witter, 42, of HMP Manchester. Marc Talbot and Paul Witter are each further charged with acquiring, using or having possession of criminal property, namely money. A trial date of September 21 was set for eight of the defendants while Victoria and Cameron Talbot will be tried separately on November 8.

A young man has admitted making indecent images of children. Ryan Simm, 27, of King Street, Wigan, stood before a Bolton Crown Court judge to plead guilty to accusations that he produced two child abuse pictures which fall into the severest criminal category (A), five category B images and 112 category C between October 31, 2018 and February 13, 2019. He was given a 12-month prison sentence which was suspended for two years, he must complete 35 days of rehabilitation activities and undergo a three-month curfew. Simm was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and must sign onto the Sex Offenders’ Register for the same amount of time.

A serial shoplifter has been sent to prison for almost six months after committing more thefts. Michael Huber, 32, of Keats Avenue, Worsley Mesnes, had been given a suspended jail sentence in December for a series of crimes against a store, but Wigan magistrates heard that he had since stolen almost £100 of meats from Aldi, £35 worth of coffee from the Food Warehouse and £30 worth of chocolate from Quality Save on March 15 and 16. Sending him down for 24 weeks, justices also ordered that he pay £128 to victim services.

A sex offender breached a court order by getting a TV with internet access, a court heard. Christopher Fowler, 25, of Linden Walk, Orrell, appeared before Wigan magistrates to admit breaking the terms of a sexual harm prevention order imposed by Liverpool Crown Court in 2016. He was ordered to carry out 80 hours’ work and must pay £175 to the court and victim services.

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A man has been accused of a series of crimes including one in which a man suffered a gash to the throat. Gary Gage, 53, of no fixed address, appeared before Wigan magistrates charged with maliciously wounding Sean Reilley. On that same day - June 10, 2019 - it is also alleged that he was armed with a knife, assaulted Justin Budworth, burgled the Dog and Partridge pub for £1,100 and stole £2,500 from Deborah Strickland. It is alleged that he had stolen a further £5,769 from Ms Strickland on May 19 that year too. Because of the seriousness of the offences, the bench ordered that the case be heard at Bolton Crown Court and Gage was remanded in custody until his appearance before a judge on May 14.

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