Wigan's week in court

A Wigan man has been jailed for 23 weeks after finally admitted to a series of motoring offences including driving two very different vehicles while banned. Anthony Seddon, 58, of Christopher Street, Ince, had 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 had also denied riding a quad bike while banned and uninsured on Vauxhall Street on August 22. But on his latest appearance at court he changed all his pleas to guilty and was given the custodial sentence and also banned from driving for five years. At the same hearing he was given another seven days behind bars for failing to pay a £283 court fine that had been imposed way back in November 2017.

A Wigan schoolboy has admitted to robbing another youngster of a skateboard and possessing a cosh. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named, appeared at Wigan Youth Court to confess to mugging the other boy of the £80 board on April 5 and having the offensive weapon at Wigan bus station the following day. He was referred to Bolton’s youth offender panel for 12 months and ordered to pay £200 in compensation plus another £85 to the court.

Troublesome twin schoolboys from Wigan have been made the subject of anti-social behaviour injunctions. The 16-year-olds, who cannot be identified, were given a list of conditions by the borough’s youth court which includes not entering two exclusion zones described on maps, associating with another named person, using social media to promote or incite crime and gather in groups of more than three people aged under the age of 21 unless it is to attend an educational institution.

A motorist who refused to give a blood sample when suspected of driving under the influence has been banned from the road for three years. George Swankie, 55, of Essex Street, Wigan, appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to failing to provide a specimen to police when they stopped a Daewoo Matiz in Scholes on September 11. He also pleaded guilty to driving witout insurance. As well as the driving disqualification, Swankie was made the subject of an electronically tagged curfew which means he cannot leave his house between the hours of 8pm and 8am until January 20. He must also pay £180 to the court and victim services.

A curfew has been imposed on a man who smashed a van window and stole a wallet. Kevin Furlong, 53, of Millers Lane, Platt Bridge, stood before Wigan magistrates to admit snatching the wallet containing £15 in cash plus cards and also to causing £100 damage to a Ford Transit tipper van on June 11. The bench ordered that he be the subject of an electronically tagged curfew from 7pm to 8am until November 16 and that he pay compensation to his victims plus a victim services surcharge totalling £210.

A woman has admitted driving while banned. Katie Tierney, 32, of Canal Street, Wigan, stood before Wigan magistrates to being at the wheel of a Range Rover on Scot Lane, Wigan, while disqualified from the road on September 4. She was bailed pending sentence at the same court on November 11.

A Wigan jail inmate has been accused of GBH. Anthony Daly, 20, of HMP Hindley appeared before Wigan justices accused of causing Aaron Burns grievous bodily harm last December 9. The hearing was adjourned until November 23 and Daly has yet to enter a plea.

A man has denied committing a series of crimes in Wigan including bank card fraud. Peter McLean, 37, of Gloucester Street, Atherton, appeared before borough magistrates to deny making purchases using stolen cards on September 8 and 15 and on the latter day also burgling a house in Navenby Road, Hawkley Hall, to steal car keys and taking a Ford Ranger without the owner’s consent. He was remanded in custody until he makes a first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge on November 24.

A Wigan man has denied twice stealing the contents of a Royal Mail post box. Scott Yates, 34, of Linney Square, Scholes, appeared before borough justices to plead not guilty to the theft of items unknown on June 18 to 19 and on August 31. He was released on curfew until January 10.

A man has denied involvement in a hit-and-run crash involving an off-road bike. Kallan Jones, 26, of Drummond Square, Scholes, appeared before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to leaving the scene of a collision, in which another vehicle was damaged on Laithwaite Road, Worsley Hall, on August 27. He is also accused of riding the vehicle without due care and attention, insurance, a licence or a helmet. The case was adjourned until January 31.

A motorist who drove under the influence of cannabis and was found in possession of cocaine has been banned from the road. Steven Baker, 33, of Anderton Street, Ince, received a 12-month disqualification for the drug offences committed when he was stopped by police in a Ford Connect outside his home on April 4. He had admitted to the offences and also to driving without insurance. Fines, a victim services surcharge and court costs mean he also has £359 to pay.

A Wigan 65-year-old has admitted to a series of child sex offences. Philip Turner, of Bratton Close, Winstanley, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to communicating in May 2020 with a 12-year-old boy for the purpose of sexual gratification by discussing sexual activity, sending naked images of a sexual nature and asking the boy to remove clothing and send a picture. A second charge involved inciting a child of 11 or 12 in August 2013 to engage in sexual activity and making indecent images of children in July last year, one of which fell into the most serious category (A) and four of which were category C. He was released on conditional bail pending his sentencing by a Bolton Crown Court judge on November 17. Conditions include not having any unsupervised contact with children under 16 and he is barred from having any device that can access the internet and is not allowed to use social media.

A man has admitted to vandalising two cars. Darren Hilton, 38, of Maple Avenue, Hindley, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to causing criminal damage to a Ford Transit belonging to Kaelan Traynor and Jamie Richardson’s Mercedes E Class both on September 18. He will be sentenced at the same court on November 25 and is on unconditional bail until then.

A man has admitted keeping more than £3,000 in wrongly paid benefits. Karl Fairhurst, 36, of Prestt Grove, Worsley Mesnes, had been charged with failing to return or cancel the three instalments of money paid to him in Wigan in January and August 2019, knowing that he wasn’t entitled to them. He was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and pay £180 to victim services and the court.

A Wigan man has walked free from court after a jury cleared him of threatening two women. Gerard Thompson, 37, of Baxter Street, Standish, had stood trial at Bolton Crown Court accused of putting neighbour Jemma Fulton in fear of violence by harassment between March and April 2020 and sending an electronic communication to Tracey Haydock with intent to cause distress or anxiety on March 23 2020. He had denied both charges and, following a four-day hearing and four hours and 20 minutes of deliberations during which the judge said he would accept a majority verdict, the jury declared him not guilty on both counts. The judge told Mr Thompson that he was free to go.

Two men have admitted to assault and one of them to witness intimidation. Jordan Felton, 27, of Dorothy Grove, Leigh, and Cameron Johnston, 26, of Kirkless Street, Wigan, appeared before magistrates charged with attacking Anthony Robinson on May 1. Johnston admitted to the attack and another on Lauren Robinson on the same day, but at first denied being armed with a hammer. Felton admitted smashing a window belonging to Mr Robinson but pleaded not guilty to assaulting him, having an offensive weapon and days later offering to pay for window repairs if the victim were to withdraw a statement in court proceedings, thus attempting to pervert the course of justice. However, both have now changed their not guilty pleas to guilty before a trial could take place. They will be sentenced at Bolton Crown Court on November 8.

A man used a woman’s stolen bank card in order to go shopping, Wigan magistrates heard, Kieran Barrington admitted to handling stolen property - namely Nicola Welch’s credit and debit cards - and to twice using them to purchase goods on October 16. The 21-year-old of Forest Avenue, Beech Hill, was given a community punishment which has an alcohol rehabilitation element. He also has to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and stump up £180 for the court and victim services.

A serial thief has been given another community order after another lapse. Malcolm Ellison, 55 of Kimberley Place, Ashton, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to stealing six bottles of wine from Ashton’s Tesco on July 19. This was just weeks after the same court had punished him for a series of thefts from shops in March. His latest punishment involves a drug rehabilitation programme, completing 20 days of rehab activities and being barred from the Tesco at Ashton for nine months. Ellison also has to pay £180 to the court and victim services.

A motorist refused to given a breath sample when police caught him driving while banned, a court heard. Anthony Connor, 34, of Viscount Road, Marsh Green, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to being at the wheel of a Renault Clio on Butler Street in Wigan on September 24 when disqualified from the road. He also admitted to driving without insurance, failing to provide a sample and possession of diamorphine (medical heroin). An electronic curfew was imposed preventing him from leaving his home between the hours of 7pm and 7am until Boxing Day. He has also been ordered to complete a drug dependency programme and pay victim services and the court

£180.