Wigan's week in court

A motorist has admitted to twice obstructing police after they stopped her for driving while banned. Ashleigh Barrington, 30, of Sudbury Close, Hawkley Hall, appeared before Wigan justices to plead guilty to being at the wheel of a Ford Fusion in Gordon Street on May 29 while disqualified and having no insurance, and then repeating the offences while driving a Chevrolet Matiz in Hamilton Square on August 11. On both occasions she also obstructed police constables in the execution of their duty. She will be sentenced at the same court on December 1, before which an interim driving ban is imposed.

A hit and run motorist who was found to be over the drink-drive limit has been given a two-year road ban. Wigan magistrates heard that Stuart Jennion, 46, of Saddleback Road, Norley, was at the wheel of a Nissan Micra which was in collision with and damaged a Honda Jazz on his home street on July 22 last year then drove off without reporting it. He was breathalysed a short time later and was found to have 95 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes. Jennion admitted to the offences and also to failing to turn up for a court hearing on November 18. The bench told him that he can reduce his disqualification to 24 weeks if he takes a state-sanctioned test for drink-drivers. He was also put on an alcohol treatment programme and must complete nine days of rehabilitation activities. A fine, victim services surcharge and court costs mean he has £300 to pay.

A young man has admitted to threatening two people with a kitchen knife. Bradley Edwards, 24, of Isabella Square, Scholes, had been charged with having a blade in public and menacing Sean and Nicola Mason with it in Horne Grove, Worsley Mesnes, on May 2. Wigan justices sent the case to be heard by a Bolton judge where Edwards pleaded guilty to the offences. He is due to be sentenced on January 26.

A former Wigan pub landlord has denied stealing £1,200 from a cancer charity. Andrew Westwell, who was the licensee of the Commercial Inn on Heath Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, is charged with taking donations raised at a fund-raising event held in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, borough magistrates heard. The 52-year-old, now of no fixed address, is further accused of “committing fraud while occupying a position, namely as a fund-raising agent of Macmillan, in which he was expected to safeguard, not to act against, the financial interests of Macmillan Cancer Support and that he dishonestly abused that position, intending to make a gain, by failing to pay the value of all such donations to Macmillan Cancer Support and keeping it for himself.” The offences are alleged to have taken place at some point between December 22, 2019 and July 31 this year. Appearing before Manchester and Salford magistrates, Westwell pleaded not guilty to both charges and the case was adjourned until February 4. He will then be appearing before Bolton magistrates and is on unconditional bail until then.

A new curfew has been imposed on a man who admits to handling stolen goods and breaching a previous curfew. Sean Darbyshire, 18, of Marlborough Avenue, Ince, stood before Wigan justices to admit dishonestly receiving power tools and gardening equipment belonging to Christopher Holland on October 17 and breaking terms of a curfew by arriving home late earlier this month. He also pleaded guilty to obstructing a police officer in the execution of her duties. His punishment includes wearing an electronic tag for four months, during which time he is must be at his home address between 7.30pm and 6am. A surcharge and court costs mean Darbyshire also has £180 to pay.

A young man stopped by police when driving a scooter while banned and uninsured was found with drugs and a knuckleduster. Sean Prescott, 26, of Warrington Road, Abram, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to the four offences committed while riding a Lexmoto Enigma on Elm Avenue, Newtown, on October 12. He was released on unconditional bail until he is sentenced by a Bolton judge on December 7.

A man has admitted to stalking a woman. Joseph Kinsley, 33, of Bryham Street, Scholes, stood before Wigan justices to change a previous not guilty plea to guilty, in that he harassed Joanne Brown between June 12 and 19. The hearing was told that on one occasion he followed her in his car and also turned up at her place of work. Kinsley also admitted to driving a Ford Transit without due care and attention during that period and a later offence of drink-driving while at the wheel of a flatbed truck in Poolstock Lane, Poolstock on September 19. He gave a reading oif 92 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the limit is 35. A community punishment includes taking part in a Building Better Relationships programme, completing 20 days of rehabilitation activities and 100 hours of unpaid work. Kinsley was also banned from driving for 24 months - although this can be reduced to 24 weeks if he completes a course for drink-drivers - and must pay £295 in court costs and to victim services.

A teenager has been banned from the road for 12 months for driving under the influence of cannabis. Dwayne Causey, 18, of The Green, Pemberton, appeared before borough magistrates to admit having taken the class B drug before being found at the wheel of a Vauxhall Astra in Greenhey on May 7. He has £239 to pay in the shape of court costs, a victim surcharge and a fine.

A 21-year-old made an unwarranted demand with menaces against another man in a bid to steal £3,000. Christopher Bond, of Upper Dicconson Street, Swinley, has yet to plead to the single charge that he threatened Harry Brookfield and Wigan magistrates sent the case to be heard by a Bolton judge on December 15, before which Bond is on bail.

A motorist caught driving while disqualified has been hit with a further two-year ban. Katie Tierney, 32, of Canal Street, Wigan, stood before borough justices to admit the breach when at the wheel of a Range Rover on Scot Lane, Newtown, on September 4. As well as the fresh ban, she must also complete 80 hours of unpaid work and 12 days of rehabilitation activities while also paying £180 to the court and victim services.

A motorist involved in a hit-and-run crash while over the drink-drive limit has been banned from the road and hit with a big court bill. Rabbi Potter, 30, of Heath Road, Ashton, stood before Wigan justices to admit being at the wheel of a Mercedes which ploughed into a garden wall on St Thomas Close then drove off. A subsequent breath test showed he had 47 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35. As well as losing his licence for 12 months, Potter has a large fine, compensation, court costs and a victim surcharge totalling £845 to pay.

A Wigan Infirmary visitor has been ordered to pay the hospital trust compensation after wrecking one of its computer screens. John Rosbotham, 57, of Langdale Crescent, Abram, appeared before Wigan justices to admit to the criminal damage of the IT hardware on July 14. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and must pay £200 to WWL as well as another £107 to victim services and the court.

A 38-year-old Wigan man is accused of having a vast “child porn” library containing more than 42,000 indecent images. Daniel O’Brien, of Worsley Street, Golborne, appeared before borough justices charged with creating 1,899 pictures which fall into the most serious legal category (A) plus 3,164 category B images and an enormous 37,702 category C pictures. He is further accused of possessing 10 images of human intercourse with animals and 15 prohibited images of children. And he is also charged with distributing some of the illegal images - namely seven category A pictures, three category B and 11 C. O’Brien has yet to enter pleas to the charges and, because of the seriousness of the allegations, the bench immediately sent the case to be heard at Bolton Crown Court. He will make his first appearance before a judge on December 15 before which he is on bail conditional that he does not have any unsupervised contact with minors, sleeps at his home address and he requires National Crime Agency authorisation to access any internet-enabling devices.

A man and woman have been accused of having an out-of-control pit bull which savaged another man. Shane Evans, 25, and Joanne Washtington, 44, of Oak Avenue, Golborne, are charged with not preventing the dog from attacking John Anders on May 29 last year in Nook Lane. The pair have yet to enter pleas and were granted unconditional bail until a further appearance at the court on December 2.

A man hurled racist abuse and smashed his victim’s window during a drunken attack, Wigan justices heard. Sean Speakman, 23, of no fixed address, appeared before magistrates to admit racially threatening Lalji Hirani and putting through a £200 pane before also attacking a police officer who came to investigate. He was ordered to complete an alcohol treatment programme and 20 days of rehabilitation activities and also has to pay compensation, a fine, victim services surcharge and court costs totalling £570. The punishments, plus another £50 in compensation also covered the theft of two stools in Leigh and threatening another police officer.

A man who drunkenly launched an attack on a relative will have to complete an alcohol treatment programme. Christopher Moore, 40, of Severn Drive, Norley, appeared before Wigan magistrates to admit causing Jordan Sheridan actual bodily harm in Wigan on March 16. He also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to for a previous court appointment. As well as the treatment programme, Moore must also complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities based on building better relationships. He has to pay a fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge together worth £300 but the bench decided not to insist on his paying compensation to the victim because they are related and the justices felt that it might inflame the domestic situation.

A young Wigan man has been accused of sending lewd messages to several girls for his own sexual gratification. Liam Forrest, 22, of Atherton Road, Hindley, stood before borough magistrates charged with six counts of communicating with minors, making sexual requests of them and sending them sexual images to view.

He is further accused of making seven indecent images of children which fall into the most serious category in legal terms (A) and a further three category B pictures.

Forrest was granted unconditional bail until his next court appearance on December 15 which will be before a Bolton judge because the charges are so serious.

A Wigan woman who denies assaulting, neglecting and threatening to kill a minor in her charge will go on trial next summer. Helen Honeyman, 30, of Church Avenue, Bickershaw, pleaded not guilty to the three offences against a girl under 16 which are alleged to have taken place on July 3. A Bolton Crown Court judge ruled that a trial take place on July 27 2022 and Honeyman is on bail until then.

A Wigan man has been cleared of a mugging. Jordan Lee, 29, of Penshaw Avenue, Hawkley Hall, had denied robbing Rhys Banks of £25 on February 26 but admitted to theft from a person and assault by beating when he appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge. The prosecution and defence agreed that the most serious charge be dropped and he was told that he was not guilty of the crime. For the assault he was given a 12-month community order involving 75 hours of unpaid work. There was no separate penalty for the theft.

A Wigan man has appeared before a judge accused of attempted murder. Samson Price, 47, of Sefton Road, Goose Green, is charged over the stabbing of a 20-year-old Winsford man outside the PureGym on Leicester Street, Northwich, on September 23. Price, who is the father of teenager Samson Price Jr who died in an incident at Wigan flashes in October 2020, is further accused of knife possession.

He has yet to enter plea but a provisional trial date has been set for March 9 at Chester Crown Court. Before then the case will receive a mention on December 3, there will be a ground rules hearing on February 22 and what is called a Section 28 hearing - during which witness interviews and recorded on video in advance of the trial - on February 28. Price will also be the subject of a doctor’s medical report to determine if he is fit to stand trial.