Wigan's Week In Court

A man has been accused of performing a lewd act in public. Craig Dean, 31, of no fixed address, appeared before Wigan and Leigh magistrates to deny a charge of outraging public decency in Wigan on June 17. The bench remanded him in custody pending his next appearance before them vida video link on July 20.

A sentencing date has been set for a man who threatened to burn a Wigan couple’s house down.Neil Pedder, 45, of Woodhouse Lane, Springfield, had already appeared before borough magistrates to admit using violence to get into a neighbouring home and threatening Neil and Donna Baines.

At that earlier hearing he had pleaded guilty to two charges of threatening to pour petrol through Mr Baines’s letterbox, but those charges were withdrawn by the prosecution and he pleaded guilty to alternative charges of threatening to damage the couple’s house by setting it on fire.

He was further released on bail conditional that he does not contact the Baineses and that he lives in an address in Keighley, West Yorkshire.

Pedder must then attend his sentencing at Bolton Crown Court on July 20.

A man, 24, has been accused of possessing a machete, dangerous driving and other motoring offences. Benjamin Duffy, of Wigan Road, Leigh, appeared before borough magistrates charged with possession of a large bladed sword and driving a Ford Mondeo dangerously on Atherleigh Way and the East Lancashire Road.

He is further accused of failing to stop for a police officer, driving while banned and being at the wheel without insurance or a licence. All the offences are alleged to have been committed on June 21. Duffy has yet to plead and the bench remanded him in custody until he makes his first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge on July 20.

Two women have been bound over to keep the peace for their part in a disturbance in Wigan.

Chloe and Jane Griffin, 27 and 53 respectively and both of Hillside Avenue, Ashton, appeared before borough magistrates to admit breaching the peace and each was bound over to the sum of £50 for six months.

Sex offenders’ register breaches will see a Wigan man face a judge for sentencing next month.

Jamie Smart, 30, of Victoria Road, Platt Bridge, appeared before Wigan and Leigh magistrates to admit two contraventions of the register onto which he must sign. They are that he failed to notify the authorities of a change of address and to complete his periodic notifications.

Smart also pleaded guilty to a breach of a conditional discharge issued by Warwickshire magistrates for which not further action will be taken. He was released on bail pending his appearance at Bolton Crown Court on July 20 to be sentenced for the register breaches.

A closure order has been placed on a Wigan house that had become a magnet for anti-social disorder.

Wigan Council brought the action against William Elvin at his address of 75 Broom Road, Worsley Hall.

The order means that no-one other than the tenant and agreed individuals will be allowed access the property until 4pm on September 23.

A man has been charged with molesting a woman.

Abdelkader Taboubi, 40, of Bolton Road, Ashton, appeared before Wigan magistrates accused of intentionally sexually touching a female over 16 without her consent.

He has yet to plead and the bench remanded him in custody until his next appearance before them on July 3.

A criminal is back behind bars for not attending supervision appointments following his release from a previous prison sentence.

Joshua Lowe, 26, of Withington Lane, Aspull, admitted to not turning up for office meetings last October and November and also failing to attend a group session later in November.

Wigan and Leigh magistrates heard that he had not provided credible evidence for his absences within the timescale available and so gave him another fortnight in jail.