Wigan's court round-up

Round-up of people brought before the local magistrates ...
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A woman found armed with a knife and knuckleduster while possessing crack and medical heroin has been jailed. Yvonne Allen, 37, of Rathen Avenue, Ince, appeared before Wigan and Leigh justices to admit being in possession of the class A drugs and weapons on Ince Green Lane, Ince, on April 9. Returning for sentence, she was sent to prison for a total of four months, the bench telling her that carrying dangerous weapons while under the influence of drugs made for potentially very dangerous circumstances. She must also pay £128 to victim services.

A man who denied threatening his ex-wife and smashing her car windscreen has been given a conditional discharge after finally admitting to the offences. Stuart Cox, 48, of Princess Street, Hindley, had already admitted to Wigan and Leigh magistrates that he breached bail conditions by trying to contact his former partner after his arrest on suspicion of the other offences. And when a trial was due to begin this month he changed his other pleas to guilty in relation to the events at Amanda Cox’s house in Hey Street, Ince on March 24. A further charge of attempting to break a window at the house was dismissed. Cox was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £272 to the court and victim services. A restraining order prevents him from entering Hey Street nor have contact with Ms Cox, unless through official channels in order to facilitate contact with their children.

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A man who crashed into another car while drink-driving has been given a community sentence and been banned from the road for almost four years. Gary Carrington, 52, of Gantley Avenue, Billinge, stood before Wigan justices to admit driving his Ford Mondeo into a Renault Megane on St James’s Road, Orrell, on October 6. When tested by police he had 88 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35. Carrington also admitted driving uninsured. The bench ordered that he be disqualified from driving for 46 months and must undergo a programme for people with an alcohol problems and complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities. He is also under a four-week electronically-tagged curfew which confines him to his home between 7pm and 7am and he must pay £545 towards court costs and victim services.

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

A man will discover his fate next month after finally admitting to assaulting a woman. Glenn Campbell, 47, of Bridge Street, Hindley, had initially denied causing Julia Donegan actual bodily harm on January 24. But on his latest appearance at Wigan Magistrates’ Court, he changed his plea and the case was sent to Bolton Crown Court where he will be sentenced by a judge on September 22.

A trial date has been set for a man who denies attacking a woman. Steven Threlfall, 39, of Close Lane, Hindley, is charged with causing Sadie Holden actual bodily harm on May 11. Wigan magistrates ordered that a trial be held on December 7 and the defendant was remanded on conditional bail until then.

Two men who finally admitted to assault have been spared immediate prison terms. Jordan Beach, 22, of Swan Lane, Hindley Green, had denied causing Ian Hyland and Matthew Jones actual bodily harm and threatening violence on August 11 2019. Also denying threats and attacking Mr Hyland was Joshua Gannon, 28, from Twiss Lane, Leigh. But before a trial at Bolton Crown Court, they changed their pleas. Returning for sentence they were both given 12 months in custody but the term was suspended for 18 months. The judge also ordered them to complete 150 days’ unpaid work each, pay £250 each to their victim and victim services surcharges of £149. Beach must also complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities while Gannon has been put on a 28-day Resolve programme.

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A young Wigan man has been accused of dangerously driving under the influence of cocaine. Kien Leigh, 21, of Ruabon Crescent, Leigh, stood before Wigan justices charged with driving dangerously round a whole host of roads in Bolton and Wigan in a Ford Fiesta on Feburary 7 and while having taken the illegal drug. He has yet to enter pleas and the case returns to the same court on September 8.

A motorist has received a 12-month road disqualification after testing positive for cannabis. Michael Davies, 33, of First Avenue, Hindley, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to having taken the class B substance before being stopped by a police patrol while driving a Vauxhall Zafira on Grasmere Avenue, Ince, on February 7. Davies also has £239 to pay in a fine, costs and victim services surcharge.

A man has pleaded guilty to attacking two police officers. Kieron Hodgkinson, 38, of Severn Drive, Norley, admitted to Wigan justices that he assaulted PCs McQueen and Bird during the course of their duties on July 30 in September. The case was adjourned for the preparation of pre-sentence reports until September 9.

A Wigan motorist who was banned for driving under the influence of cocaine has asked for it to be pointed out that he took the illegal substance days before his arrest. Jack Roberts 26, of Hexham Avenue, Wigan, had stood before borough justices to admit having taken the illegal drug before getting behind the wheel of a Mercedes A200 in Buckley Lane, Bolton, on December 23. He was ordered pay a fine, costs and victim surcharge totalling £369 as well as a year-long disqualification from driving. Contacting wigantoday since, he said, “I took it days before and it was still in my system at the lowest it could have been.”

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A 63-year-old Wigan man has denied a charge of “flashing”. James Williamson, of Trevore Drive, Standish, appeared before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to indecently exposing himself between May 1 and September 1 2018. He was released on bail conditional that he does not go near three named females nor enter a named street in Wigan, and he will next appear before a Bolton Crown Court judge on September 22.

A man will face a judge after denying he attacked a nurse and a security guard. Peter Howarth, 27, of Wesley Street, Pemberton, stood before Wigan justices accused of assaulting Paul Bullough and John Hayworth during the course of their duties on April 15. The case will next be heard at Bolton Crown Court on September 22.

Taking cannabis before driving a car has cost a Wigan motorist his licence. Christopher Clossick, 31, of Derby House, Scholes, stood before Wigan justices to admit having smoked the class B drug before he was caught at the wheel of a Peugeot Partner on Wallace Road on February 7. He was given a year-long road ban and must pay a fine, court costs and victim services surcharge totalling £319.

A woman has been accused of vandalising two cars and driving another one dangerously. Joanne Burns, 51, of Lynton Avenue, Beech Hill, appeared before Wigan magistrates to deny causing £3,000 damage to a Mercedes and £300 damage to a Ford Fiesta both belonging to Paul Abbott. On that same day - January 20 2021 - she further pleads not guilty to driving a different Mercedes dangerously on Wigan Lower Road, Standish Lower Ground. The case was adjourned until November 18 when a trial will be held at Bolton Magistrates’ Court.

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A Wigan pensioner who admitted to having a vast library of vile “child porn” has been sentenced. Graham McDonald appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge, having pleaded guilty to having more than 2,100 images involving the sexual abuse of youngsters. The hearing was told that the 66-year-old of Lilac Grove, Golborne, created the disgusting pictures and films between July 2016 and May 2020. Of the footage found on McDonald’s devices, 175 fell into the gravest category of sexual offending seriousness (A). Another 162 were deemed category B and a massive 1,843 were judged category C. He also admitted to a fourth charge of possessing a prohibited image of a child. The hearing was told that police received intelligence that an IP address belonging to McDonald was being used to access illegal images. They launched a raid on his home and seized various electrical devices for forensic examination and on which the abuse images were found. He was sentenced to a three-year community order, must complete 35 days of rehabilitation activities, must signon the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years and has been made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

In the August 24 edition of the Wigan Observer’s Week in Court, it was stated that James Armstrong was facing two counts of rape. He is in fact charged with two allegations of assault by penetration. He denies both charges and a trial will take place on July 4 next year, not September 27 this year when he faces a separate trial on a charge of sexual assault. We apologise for the error and for any upset or confusion caused.

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