Wigan's court round-up

A Wigan mother has been accused by justices of “a disgusting display of violence” during which she attacked a woman and a police officer in front of onlookers including a child. Pleading guilty to two counts of assault by beating and one of threatening violence, Kathryn Holland was jailed for 24 weeks. Addressing the 33-year-old of Nixon Phillips Drive, Hindley Green, the chair of the bench, said, “This was an absolutely disgusting display of violence in a public house in front of a child. It is behaviour that will not be tolerated anywhere in public and certainly not in an area where totally innocent people are enjoying a quiet drink in a social setting, particularly after such a long period of lockdown. We have viewed the video of the incident and it does you no credit whatsoever. It is also evident from your state of intoxication when arrested that you had consumed an excessive amount of alcohol; you even felt it appropriate that you then aimed a malicious kick out at one of the officers when you were arrested. The fact that you were brought up in an abusive setting and engaged in abusive relationships over a period of years does not mean that your behaviour was either an inevitable result of these relationship nor was it acceptable.” The hearing was told the attacks took place in Leigh on April 18, with Holland first assaulting Kerry Jones and then PC Mason who had been called to the scene after the first incident. As well as the custodial sentence, Holland must pay £128 to victim services.

A man who stalked and intimidated a witness in a criminal investigation has narrowly avoided jail. Magistrates told Aidan Bryan that only last minute guilty pleas had saved him from a hefty and immediate custodial sentence, having previously denied continually harassing a named woman and trying to get her to retract a statement in January and February of this year. The 28-year-old, of Oak Avenue, Golborne, was told by the chair of the Wigan bench, “The offence of witness intimidation is an offence that strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system. If defendants were allowed to behav in a manner such as this, then the rule of law would cease to exist. We are aware of the guilty plea but also that this plea was only entered on the trial date. You would have a very lengthy period before that to take legal advice change your plea and avoid witnesses attending at court. We take note that you are a man of previous good character but these are extremely serious offences for which a custodial sentence is inevitable.” Bryan was given a 10-week prison sentence but it was suspended for 24 months. He must also pay court costs and a victim services surcharge of £478.

A man found armed in the street with a tyre lever has been given a community punishment. Michael Harrison, 42, of Norley Hall Avenue, Norley, stood before borough magistrates to admit to having the weapon in Trent Road last October 17. He was ordered to complete 35 days of rehabilitation activities and pay victim services, the court and a fine totaling £300.

A young man who snatched three boxes of chocolates and a bottle of Cognac in two shop raids must pay fines, compensation and a victim surcharge totalling £244. Joshua Hughes, 23, of Arcade Street, Wigan, appeared before borough magistrates to admit to taking the £40 spirit from Asda and the three boxes of chocolates worth £90 from the Co-op as well as failing to surrender to the courts after his arrest.

A woman who drove under the influence of cocaine and cannabis has been banned from the road for 18 months. Jessica Dalton, 30, of Green Lane, Standish, stood before Wigan justices to admit having taken the illegal substances before getting behind the wheel of a Mini which was stopped by police on March 7 in Almond Brook Road. Fines plus bills to the court and victim services mean she has £359 to pay.

A teenager has admitted making a grossly offensive phone call to the police’s non-emergency 101 number from Wigan. The 18-year-old, of May Street, Warrington, appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to sending the intimidating message on June 26. He will be sentenced on November 11.

Two men who denied assault have finally admitted to their crimes. Jordan Beach, 22, of Swan Lane, Hindley Green, had initially been charged with causing Ian Hyland and Matthew Jones actual bodily harm and threatening violence on August 11 2019. Also accused of threats and attacking Mr Hyland was Joshua Gannon, 28, from Twiss Lane, Leigh. But after appearing before a Bolton judge, they changed their pleas before a trial could take place and they will be sentenced on August 20.

A woman who admitted launching a savage assault with a bottle and had a blade in her handbag turned up for sentencing at court after testing positive for Covid. Amanda Round, 53, of Derby House in Scholes, had stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to wounding Katherine Lyon on June 29 and possessing a large kitchen knife in Diggle Street the next day. She was due to be sentenced by a Bolton judge, but on arriving and mentioning her condition she was turned away and sentencing was suspended until a date yet to be set.

A man crashed into another car while drink-driving, a court heard. Gary Carrington, 52, of Gantley Avenue, Billinge, appeared before Wigan justices to plead guilty to driving his Ford Mondeo into a Renault Megane on St James’s Road, Orrell, on October 6, causing damage to the other vehicle. When tested by police he was shown to have 88 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35. Carrington also admitted to driving without insurance but a further charge of driving without a licence was dismissed. He will be sentenced on August 17.

The sentencing of a young Wigan man who admitted to peddling hard drugs has been further postponed by a judge. Lewis Causey, of Falkirk Grove, Norley, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court to plead guilty to supplying cocaine between September 9 and October 3. The 22-year-old will now learn his fate on October 11.

A man and woman have confessed to stealing a bag and its contents then fraudulently drawing hundreds of pounds out from a hole in the wall with the victim’s bank card. Mark Mayren, 34, and Alysha Clayton, 31, both of Prestt Grove, Worsley Mesnes, appeared before a Bolton judge charged with burgling a house in Reedsmere Close to snatch the possessions worth £235 then drawing another £520 from a cash point on the same day, June 6. Mayren was further charged with headbutting, scratching and spitting at two police officers - PCs Clark and Carter - 10 days later and also escaping from custody. The pair will be sentenced on August 20.

A Wigan man who was armed with an imitation firearm and a knuckleduster has been spared an immediate jail term. Mark Sumner, 47, of Liverpool Road, Hindley, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge having already admitted to Wigan magistrates that he had the weapons in public on Blackberry Drive, and possessing cannabis on March 19. He was given a six-month custodial sentence but it was suspended for 12 months.

A Wigan teenager who tried to contact a 14-year-old schoolgirl for sexual purposes has avoided immediate incarceration. Connor Lammiman, of Lower Longshoot, Scholes, had previously appeared in the dock at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court to plead guilty to communicating with a girl whom he knew to be under 16 in order to set up an encounter that would have involved a crime under the Sex Offences Act. The 18-year-old also admitted that this communication on May 17 put him in breach of a sexual risk order previously imposed on him by justices only in January of this year. Appearing before a Bolton judge, he was sent to 16 months in a young offenders’ institution but the term was suspended of two years. He was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and must sign on the sex offenders’ register for the same amount of time.

A Wigan man has denied launching a vicious attack. Lee Brown, 32, of no fixed address, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge charged with maliciously intending to cause Callum Bradshaw grievous bodily harm on June 4 - the most serious form of assault after attempted murder. A trial date of July 5 next year was set.

A man breached a restraining order to launch an attack on a woman, Wigan justices heard. Martin Jermaks, 48, of Leigh Road, Hindley Green, admitted to Wigan justices that he had assaulted Kerri Bradley on July 23 and in so doing broke an order issued by a Bolton judge preventing contact with her. Jermaks was given a 16-week prison sentence but it was suspended for two years. He must attend an alcohol rehabilitation programme and pay £207 in costs and to victim services.

A teenager who denies threatening and violent behaviour while armed with a blade will only be tried in 11 months’ time. Hedi Shariyatzada, 19, of no fixed address, had appeared before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to threatening unlawful violence and wielding a kitchen knife in Laburnum Street, Ashton, on June 13. On his first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge, a trial date of June 21 was set.

A Wigan man who confessed to a series of crimes including burglary, theft and trying to break into a vehicle has been jailed for 16 months. Martin Wilding, 33, of Norley Hall Avenue, Norley, had appeared in the dock at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court to enter guilty pleas to breaking into a house on Willow Tree Close in Whitley and stealing electrical items, jewellery, car keys and house keys, interfering with a Landrover Defender and stealing cleaning products, chocolate, coffee and meat totalling £134 from Tesco - all on the same day of June 22 this year. He also admitted to breaking into St John’s CE Primary School in Pemberton three days earlier, and also to accruing eight hours and 38 minutes of violations of a curfew imposed as part of a sentence last year for tampering with another vehicle. He has now been given a custodial sentence by a Bolton judge.

A borough man has denied an attempted carjacking and raiding a house while armed with machetes and hammers. Nathan Morris, 29, of Glebe Street in Leigh, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge charged with burgling an address in Sandy Lane, Hindley, to steal televisions worth £600 and a £4,000 Ford Focus, while armed with the weapons on April 11 2019. He is also charged with trying to rob Damon Green of a car at the Texaco filling station on Leigh Road on May 5 that same year. Denying both charges he will stand trial for the two allegations separately on July 6 and July 20 2022.

A Wigan man has finally admitted having a dangerously out-of-control dog which savaged a woman. Wigan magistrates heard that Amanda Grundy was bitten by the fawn and white American Bully in Westhoughton Park on May 17 last year. Damien Pulman, 32, of Aylesbury Crescent, Hindley Green, had initially denied a breach of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act but has now changed his plea to guilty. He was released on unconditional bail pending his sentence at the same court on August 20.

A man who admitted to twice attacking his partner has been jailed for 14 weeks. Declan Smith, 23, of Beechwood Crescent, Astley, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to the assault by beating of Kelsie Roberts on June 4. A third charge of assault on the same day was denied and dismissed. A restraining order until July next year was imposed and Smith must also pay compensation and costs totalling £275.

A teenaged inmate of Hindley Prison has denied possessing contraband and weapons. Colin Hayes appeared before borough justices charged with having two mobile telephones and a dongle plus three hacksaw blades and a needle on November 9. The 19-year-old appeared at Bolton Crown Court to plead not guilty and a January 6 trial date was set.

A Wigan woman accused of targeting retailer Boots on her thieving sprees has been given a suspended prison sentence. Sophie Price, 25, of Derby House, Scholes, appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to stealing candles, skin care products and cosmetics totalling around £680 on four separate shopliftings at the store in June and July. She also admitted to threatening Daniel Worthington on June 17 and breaching a community order imposed in March for further thefts. She was given a four-week prison sentence but it was suspended for 18 months. The chair of the magistrates to her, “You have breached a community order made for offences of dishonesty and have a record of previous offending. In this instance you have deliberately targeted Boots Chemists and stolen nearly £700 worth of goods then threatened the store manager.” The bench ordered her to complete a drug rehabilitation programme and 40 days of rehab activities, while paying compensation of £732.

A man who smashed a shop window has been ordered to pay the business compensation. Scott Robinson, 43, of Thompson Close, Atherton, stood before Wigan justices to admit to smashing the £500 window in Bolton on July 26. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay for the damages plus court costs and a victim services surcharge bringing the total to £607.

A man has been released on conditional bail after being accused of attacking a woman. Steven Threlfall, 39, of Close Lane, Hindley, appeared before Wigan justices charged with causing Sadie Holden actual bodily harm on May 11. He next appears in the dock on August 18.

A 53-year-old Wigan woman has denied a dozen historical child sex offences. Deborah Smalley, from Windermere Road, Ince, faces five charges of indecently assaulting a boy under the age of 14 and seven of acts of gross indecency with him. There is one complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and all the offences are alleged to have taken place between November 19 1989 and November 18 1993. She entered not guilty pleas to all 12 of them. Because of the seriousness of the allegations, the case was immediately sent by Wigan magistrates to be heard by a Bolton Crown Court judge. Smalley was granted unconditional bail until her first appearance before a judge on September 1.

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