Wigan's week in court

A Wigan man has been found guilty of two sex attacks. After a four-day trial at Bolton Crown Court, 34-year-old James Armstrong, was convicted by a jury of two counts of assault by penetration. He will be sentenced on November 5.

A 2022 trial date has been set for a Wigan man who denies racially aggravated assault and criminal damage. Martin Prescott, 54, of Pryce Avenue, Ince, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge charged with the assault of Medfie Kasiam on July 2, 2020 and the breaking of two mobiles worth £963 belonging to the complainant the same day. He was bailed pending his trial beginning June 28 next year.

A Wigan motorcyclist who was caught breaking the speed limit on the same stretch of motorway six times in a matter of weeks has been spared a road ban. Wigan magistrates heard that disqualification would cost Matthew Roberts his job because he drives extensively for it and so even though he had accrued 18 points, they decided not to impose a ban. The hearing was told that the 33-year-old of Edge Hall Road, Orrell, had broken the 50mph speed limit on the eastbound carriageway of the M62 between junctions 11 and 12 on six occasions during November last year. However fines, costs and a victim services surcharge totted up to £1,247.

A Wigan engineer who was caught on his phone while driving has been spared a driving ban. Borough magistrates heard that 26-year-old Thomas Myers would lose his job if disqualified from the road. And so even though the new points he received for the offence in Gloucester last November 25 took him over the ban threshold of 12, he was given a fine instead. The penalty plus court costs and a victim services surcharge mean he has £823 to pay.

A man has pleaded not guilty to burgling a Wigan vet’s practice. Stuart Trickett, 45, of Springfield Street, Swinley, is accused of breaking into the Luc van Diyck practice on Wigan Lane on July 7 to steal more than £3,000 worth of medicines. He further denies being armed with a blade and equipped for burglary in Standishgate on September 10 and to the attempted burglary of a house in Swinley Road on June 10. He was remanded in custody until his next appearance at the court on October 13.

A young man has been accused of assault and having a dangerously out-of-control dog. Michael Smith, 23, of Brandon Close, Up Holland, stood before Wigan justices charged with causing Adam Johnson Gorsuch actual bodily harm and not being in control of a German shepherd which did not cause injury on the same day, February 17. Smith has yet to plea and his case was sent to Bolton Crown Court where he will first appear before a judge on October 27.

A man who finally admitted to assaulting a woman after first denying it has been spared an immediate jail term. Glenn Campbell, 47, of Bridge Street, Hindley, had initially pleaded not guilty to causing Julia Donegan actual bodily harm on January 24. But on a later appearance at Wigan Magistrates’ Court, he changed his plea. And now before a Bolton Crown Court judge he has been given a two-year prison sentence but it was suspended for two years. He also has to complete 45 days of rehabilitation activities, complete alcohol abstinence and building better relationships course, be the subject of a night-time curfew and of a five-year restraining order.

A man who caused hundreds of pounds’ damage to a motorcyclist’s bike and helmet has been give a two-year conditional discharge. Shahen Anguti, 25, of Old Road, Ashton, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to the criminal damage of Mark Thompson’s Honda Forza 300 and head protector in an attack outside the Ashton View care home on April 2 2020. The estimated damage came to £780. As well as the discharge Anguti was ordered to pay his victim £100 in compensation.

A community sentence has been imposed on a man who admits stalking. Gerrad Selvadurai, 49, of Old Road, Ashton, stood before Wigan magistrates to admit harassing Olivia Thomas-Moore between July 18 and August 9. He was made the subject of an electronically-tagged curfew confining him to his house between 7pm and 7am until December 14. Selvadurai must also complete 30 days of rehabilitation activities, is the subject of a restraining order until September 2023 and he must pay £95 to victim services.

A Wigan man who threatened another with a sword has been given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years. Dylan Patten, 26, of Eccleston Street, Swinley, had previously pleaded guilty to possessing the lethal weapon with the intention of menacing Stephen Pimlott and to threatening him with unlawful violence - both on August 23. The case was sent by magistrates to Bolton Crown Court for sentencing and as well as the suspended term he must complete 50 days of rehabilitation activities, a three-month night-time curfew and the sword was confiscated and destroyed.

A young Wigan man has been accused of operating an unauthorised scrap metal dealership in Bolton. Steven Baker, 33, of Anderton Street, Ince, stood before Wigan magistrates to plead not guilty to a breach of the 2013 Scrap Metal Dealers Act which requires people to be licensed to work in that industry. The case was adjourned for a trial until December 16.

A man convicted of an attack and skipping bail is facing a big bill. Daniel Roughley, 35, of Loch Street, Pemberton, was found guilty in his absence by Wigan magistrates of assaulting Paul Gibson-Thomas by beating on November 18 2019. Appearing at court for sentencing he pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to custody and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work. There is also the matter of compensation, a victim services surcharge and court costs totalling £840 to pay.

A former Wigan jail inmate is back behind bars after being convicted of attacking emergency workers again. Lynden Hodgkinson, 20, of Wordsworth Crescent in Chester, admitted assaulting doctor Muhmmad Hussain but denied attacking prison officer Ashleigh Mitchell at Hindley Prison on October 20 last year. However, after a trial he was found guilty of the second attack. He was given 12 weeks in custody and must pay £128 to victim services. The bench told him he was going back to jail because of his previous record of offending. This included attacking emergency worker Matthew Pengelly in March last year.

A Wigan man has denied a series of motoring offences including driving two very different vehicles while banned. Anthony Seddon, 58, of Christopher Street, Ince, stood before borough justices to plead not guilty to being at the wheel of a Ford Transit car transporter while disqualified and uninsured, which damaged a Ford Mondeo while carelessly driven in Collett Close, Scholes, and which was then driven off without stopping and without notifying the police on February 5. Seddon also denies riding a quad bike while banned and uninsured on Vauxhall Street on August 22. The bench remanded him in custody until a further appearance at the court this month.

A total of 200 hours of unpaid work will have to be carried out by a Wigan man who admitted breaching a non-molestation order. Borough magistrates heard that 40-year-old Dowie Hughes, of Bryn Road South, Ashton, broke the order’s terms by going within 100m of Almond Close, Wigan, on August 12. As well as the unpaid work he must also complete a Building Better Relationships course and 20 days of rehabilitation activities while paying £119 to the court and victim services.

A man has denied being armed in a Wigan street with a Samurai sword and meat cleaver. Paul Fisher, 48, of The Hawthorns, Manchester, pleaded not guilty to possessing the weapons in Chapel Green Road in Hindley on April 13. The case was sent by Wigan magistrates for trial at Bolton Crown Court and Fisher was released on unconditional bail until his first appearance before a judge on October 29.

A Wigan man has finally admitted to cannabis dealing. Stephen Bailey, 32, of Dixon Avenue, Shevington, had denied peddling the class B drug when standing before borough magistrates, but on his latest appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge he changed his plea to the charge supplying the substance between September and November 2018. He was due to be sentenced this month.

A motorist has been accused of driving under the influence and possession of cannabis. Caroline Hayes, 41, of Almond Grove, Norley, also faces charges driving a Mercedes car on the same occasion - April 9 - without a licence or insurance. Wigan magistrates adjourned the case until October 13.

A young Wigan man has admitted to making hundreds of indecent images of children. Jack Stott, 21, from Ince, stood before a Bolton Crown Court judge to plead guilty to creating 162 pictures which fall into the gravest legal category of abuse (A), another 88 considered category B and 1,097 category C. He was given a three-year community order involving 45 days or rehabilitation activities, he was made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order, must sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years and the seized equipment on which the images were found was forfeited. He must also pay court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £335.

A young motorist has been banned from the road after consuming more than double the drink-drive limit. Thomas Preston, 26, of Longridge Avenue, Standish, stood before Wigan magistrates to admit having a reading of 87 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35. He was disqualified from driving for 22 months but he can reduce the period to 22 weeks if he completes a state-sanctioned course for drink-drivers. He also has a fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge to pay and they total £369.

A woman has been fined after police caught her with medical heroin. Hazel Harrison, 35, of Keats Avenue, Worsley Mesnes, appeared before Wigan justices to plead guilty to possessing diamorphine on September 5. The financial penalty, combined with a victim surcharge and costs come to £239.

A man who denied being in unlawful possession of a knife in public will face a crown court trial in nine months’ time. Kevin Astle, 35, of Burley Crescent, Winstanley, had appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead not guilty to having the bladed article illegally on The Green, Norley, on June 24. Now a Bolton judge has set his trial date for June 22, 2022.

A woman has denied going armed with a blade in public. Josie Pollard, 45, of Falconwood Close, Gidlow, stood before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to unlawfully having a kitchen knife on Frog Lane on August 30. The case was adjourned until January 24, 2022.

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