Wigan's week in court

A round-up of the people dealt with by borough magistrates recently.
A round-up of the people dealt with by borough magistratesA round-up of the people dealt with by borough magistrates
A round-up of the people dealt with by borough magistrates

A teenager is facing a £437 court bill after he was caught driving a car without a licence and insurance and using false number plates.

Charlie Brogan, 19, of Glebe End Street, Wigan, appeared before town magistrates to admit the charges relating to a Volkswagen car stopped by police on Central Park Way on March 21 and also to having a quantity of cannabis for personal use on the same occasion.

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He had six points put on his driver’s licence but was also fined and ordered to pay court costs and a victim services surcharge.

A Wigan man who has admitted a string of offences involving child abuse and animal porn will have to wait to discover his fate.

Sean Sumner, from Ince, appeared at Bolton Crown Court on Wednesday but his case was adjourned.

The 30-year-old, of Battersby Street, has admitted owning a vast catalogue of around 3,500 sickening images, some 1,400 of them of the most serious type.

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He has pleaded guilty to making hundreds of child abuse image in the most severe category A, possessing a prohibited image of a child and a separate charge of possessing two images of “grossly offensive” acts of intercourse with animals, and trying to entice a boy of 12 into sexual activity.

Judge Graeme Smith told him as he stood in the dock at Bolton Crown Court that “these are very serious offences” and “all sentencing options remain open”.

However, Paul Becker, defending, said the only available psychological assessment of his client was somewhat out of date as it was completed around 18 months ago.

He therefore requested an adjournment to the case for a new report to be done.

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Wayne Jackson, prosecuting, raised no objections to the delay in sentencing and Judge Smith agreed.

Judge Smith said: “It is important and essential that all possible information that might be relevant is put before the court.”

The case has now been adjourned until October 30. Sumner’s existing bail conditions were renewed.

A motorist who fled the scene of a crash after ploughing his car into a garden wall must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

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Adam Corless was at the wheel of a BMW 320D Sport which part demolished the stonework outside a home on Ormskirk Road, Pemberton, on April 13 but then drove off without contacting the police.

Corless, 25, of Meadowbrook, Pemberton, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report it to the police. As well as the community work he must complete, Corless also had 10 penalty points put on his licence and was ordered to pay £175 in court costs and a victim services surcharge.

A man who bombarded his ex with more than 1,200 emails and other messages has admitted a harassment charge. Paul Gardner, 41, of Falkirk Grove, Norley, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to pursuing a course of conduct which amounted to harassing Aurelia Gardner.

He was hit with a restraining order which lasts until August 31 next year and prevents him from entering Tenby in Pembrokeshire.

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Neither must he contact Ms Gardner unless through a solicitor for matters relating to child contact and divorce proceedings. Gardner must also pay a fine, court costs and victim services surcharge totalling £275.

A man has appeared in court to deny possessing a noxious incapacitent spray called Pava.

But Don Redcliffe’s co-accused failed to appear before Wigan magistrates who then issued an arrest warrant.

Redcliffe, 44, of Sefton Road, Goose Green, also pleaded not guilty to possessing a quantity of cocaine and £1,840 in cash which prosecutors called “criminal proceeds.”

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Liam Connell, 40, of Holly Road, Aspull, faces the same charges but is currently at large. Redcliffe was sent for trial at Bolton Crown Court on September 29.

Four people accused of smuggling prohibited items into Hindley Prison will have their cases heard at Bolton Crown Court.

Colleen Banks, 48, of Maple Crescent, Leigh, along with Katherine and Martin Smith, aged 42 and 48 respectively of Church Drive Orrell, and Kieron Harrop, 23, of Grasmere Avenue, Warrington, are charged with conspiring with others to bring contraband into the Wigan jail between August 11 and September 6 2018.

Harrop will first appear before a Bolton judge on September 29 but a date has yet to be fixed for the other three defendants.

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A man who threatened a neighbour while armed with garden shears will be sentenced by a judge.

Steven Sheridan, 43, of Brookland Avenue, Hindley, appeared before Wigan magistrates to admit using threatening or abusive language or behaviour against Kevin Hughes and possessing a bladed article on August 31. He was sent for sentencing at Bolton Crown Court on September 28.

A man is awaiting sentence after confessing to possession of vile child and animal pornography.

Alan Wills appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to making hundreds of indecent images of children between 2009 and 2018 at addresses in both Withinlea Close, Hindley Green and Woodyear Road, Wirral.

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The child images fell into all three categories of seriousness and there were also three involving humans and dogs having intercourse.

He was committed on unconditional bail to be sentenced at Bolton Crown Court on September 23.

A man who retained more than £3,000 in credits to which he was not entitled has been ordered to carry out community service.

Wigan magistrates heard Daniel Ward, 29, of Gordon Close, Worsley Hall, admit to four charges of failing to return public money paid to him in error. He must complete 200 hours’ unpaid work and pay £175 in court costs and a victim services surcharge.

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A man has been accused of unlawfully carrying a blade in public.

Daniel Fitzgerald, 26, of Winstanley Road, Bamfurlong, appeared before Wigan magistrates to face a charge that he was found in Harrogate Street armed with a kitchen knife.

The bench ordered that he be released on unconditional bail before he appears before a Bolton Crown Court judge for the first time on September 25.

A man has denied being armed with a baseball bat. Anthony Unsworth, 38, of Mesnes Road, Swinley, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead not guilty to having an offensive weapon on Victoria Street on April 23.

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The bench ordered that the case be sent to Bolton Crown Court for trial and he is due to make his first appearance before a judge on September 21.

A trial date has been set for a former Wigan Warriors star accused of battering his partner.

One-time DW Stadium favourite Anthony Gelling, now of Warrington Wolves, is charged with causing Toni Mackey grievous bodily harm.

The 29-year-old’s case appeared before a Liverpool Crown Court judge who heard that the player had already pleaded not guilty to the single charge when he stood before Warrington magistrates in July.

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Gelling was released on unconditional bail pending his trial which is scheduled to begin on May 12 next year.

A woman has admitted attacking five 999 staff. Kelly Robinson, 41, of Worcester Avenue, Hindley, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty the assault by beating of PCs Fenney, Ryan, Canavan and Taylor plus paramedic Susan Bullock while in emergency roles.

All the offences happened in Wigan on September 11 last year and Robinson also admitted to using threatening or abusive language.

The bench released her on unconditional bail pending sentence at the same court on September 15.

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A 32-year-old Wigan man is to stand trial for assault. Steven Critchley, from Duke Street, Swinley, appeared before borough justices to deny causing David Oliver actual bodily harm on May 8. The bench released him on unconditional bail until his November 23 trial.

The trial date of a man who denies going on a car-wrecking spree has been delayed.

Matthew Smith, 47, originally of Pepper Lane, Standish, but now living in Chorley, faces eight charges of causing criminal damage to cars on March 22 in his home town.

Although the bill for one of the vehicles is not yet know, the overall cost for the victims has been estimated to be in excess of £5,000, Wigan magistrates heard.

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Damaged were a Ford Mondeo, Range Rover, Nissan Duke, Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot, Mercedes, Ford KA and a Vauxhall Astra.

Smith denied all charges when he appeared in the dock in March. He was to have been tried in late August but a new date has now been set for September 9 and he remains on unconditional bail until then.

A man given community orders for two attacks has now been jailed for launching two more - one of them against the same victim.

Keith Gildart, 41, of no fixed address, appeared before Wigan magistrates to admit to assaulting Bradley Christian and Nathan Cooper by beating on July 15.

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The bench heard that Gildart has previously avoided jail for assaulting Chrstian Hilton and Mr Cooper back in January. But this time they imposed a 12-week custodial sentence. He must also pay £128 towards victim services.

A racist yob has been spared an immediate jail term after admitting he threatened and abused another man.

Gary Tarbuck, 32, of Claude Street, Pemberton, had appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to at least twice racially abusing Kieran Reggo, using highly offensive terms, and threatening to “twist him up.” The bench gave him a six-month prison sentence but suspended it for two years.

However they told Tarbuck: “Your behaviour was appalling.

“After the initial incident you returned on two further occasions and engaged in racial abuse and made serious threats of violence.

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“Your record shows that in the past you have resorted to violence on several occasions.”

Tarbuck must take part in a drug rehab course and complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities as well as pay £115 as a victim services surcharge.

Justices did not make him pay compensation to Mr Reggo because of the defendant’s “limited means.”

A teenager accused of peddling class A drugs in Wigan will have his case heard by a judge.

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Wigan justices heard it was alleged that William Frost, 18, of Meddlar Way, Ince, was found on November 12 last year with both cocaine and MDMA with intent to supply them. He was bailed by borough magistrates to appear at Bolton Crown Court on September 21.

A Wigan teen will be tagged and carry out community work after admitting to a series of break-ins and being armed with a BB gun.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified appeared at Wigan Youth Court to confess to attempted burglaries a tattoo studio, convenience store and computer shop all on Manchester Road, Ince, on the same day: February 4.

He will be under a night-time curfew until November 26, must carry out 75 days of unpaid work and pay a total of £250 in compensation. Another 17-year-old admitting taking part in the same break-ins and he was referred to the Youth Offending team and must pay compensation and court costs totalling £356.

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Ten men arrested in a crackdown on major drug supply rings operating across the region will next appear in court in November.

Police raids were conducted across Wigan, Leigh, Ashton, Bolton and Salford in July, resulting in the arrests of 17 people accused of being part of a sophisticated organised crime network which made mountains of cash by peddling cocaine and heroin to vulnerable people.

Those arrests led to serious charges being levelled against 10 people. The accused have already appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court to face allegations of supplying Class A drugs, firearms offences and even conspiracy to commit murder.

They include Callum Morris, 29, of Carr Bank Crescent, Atherton; James Close, 36, of Henry Street, Leigh; and Craig Makinson, 45, of Springpool, Winstanley, who are all charged with conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to possess ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to supply a class A controlled drug, conspiracy to handle criminal property. Morris is further charged with conspiracy to murder.

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All but two of the remaining defendants are from the Wigan area and are charged with conspiring to supply cocaine and handling stolen goods.

Two women aged 50 and 35 and five men aged 60, 35, 34, 29 and 50, were released under investigation.

A Manchester Crown Court judge has now set a date for the defendants’ case management hearings. They will take place on November 20. A provisional trial date has been fixed for January 18.

A man has denied begging in Wigan town centre. Michael Davenport, whose address was given to borough magistrates as 22-44 Market Place, Halifax Bank, Wigan is charged with gathering alms on August 28 in contravention of the 1824 Vagrancy Act.

He was remanded on bail until his trial December 7 before which he is barred from a long list of streets in the Wigan town centre and Swinley areas.