Wigan's week in court

Two men have been jailed after admitting they ran a cannabis farm. Erblim Micaj, 27, and Kastriot Shemaj, 47, both of no fixed address, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge to plead guilty to the production of the drug and illegally extracting electricity at an address in Tyldesley on June 22 last year. Each was given a 16-month custodial sentence.

A teenager who dangerously drove a vehicle that wasn’t his has been spared jail. Jacob Gaskell, 18, of Marlborough Avenue, Ince, had stood before Wigan justices to admit to driving a Toyota Proace dangerously on Atherton Road, Wigan Road and Manchester Road on January 5 and that the vehicle in question had been taken without the owner’s consent. Attending Bolton Crown Court for sentence, he was given a six-month prison term but it was suspended for two years. Gaskell was also banned from the road for two years and must complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

A Wigan man has admitted to launching a double attack. James Taberner, 32, c/o Palm Avenue, Ashton, appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to the assaults of Connor Schofield and Leanne Ottey by beating on December 21. Sentencing was adjourned until March 3 for the preparation of reports and Taberner was released on bail conditional that he does not enter The Reef Bar on King Street, Wigan, in the meantime.

A former Hindley Prison inmate who finally admitted possessing contraband and weapons there has avoided an immediate return to jail. Colin Hayes initially denied having two mobile phones and a dongle plus three hacksaw blades and a needle on November 9 2020. But on the eve of a Bolton Crown Court trial he changed his pleas. He has now been given a five-month custodial term but it was suspended for 18 months. Hayes must also complete 120 hours of unpaid work.

A trial date has been set for a man who denies being armed with a knife in a Wigan supermarket. Kirk Makin, 40, of Broadway, Hindley, is charged with having the weapon in Tesco on November 15. After the defendant had entered a not guilty plea, a Bolton Crown Court judge released him on bail until the start of his trial on October 4.

A man has been accused of handling a stolen car and a series of motoring offences. Stuart Martin, 46, of Victoria Road, Platt Bridge, appeared before Wigan justices facing charges that on February 5 he was found on Prestt Grove, Worsley Mesnes at the wheel of a £2,500 Peugeot 308 which had been stolen from Kenneth Baker and that he had neither insurance nor a licence to be driving it. He is further charged with driving an Audi A4 on Constantia Road, on November 19 without the same documentation and cover. Martin has yet to enter a plea and the case was adjourned to February 18 before which he is on conditional bail.

A flat which has become a magnet for anti-social behaviour has been made the subject of a closure order. Wigan magistrates granted an application to impose the conditions on 12 Acton House, Wellington Street, Scholes, following neighbour complaints. The hearing was told it is the home of Mark Nightingale and under the terms of the 2014 Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, no-one other than the occupants of the home can visit it for the next three months.

A man has denied twice attacking his ex. Kieron Clossick, 28, of Rydal Avenue, Hindley, stood before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to assaulting Victoria Battarbee by beating on both November 8 and 9 and that on the second occasion he also caused criminal damage at her home. He was remanded on conditional bail until May 3 when he returns to the same court for a trial.

A man who attacked a nurse has been given a community punishment. Peter Rosbotham, 57, of Langdale Crescent, Abram, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to assaulting emergency worker Andrea Steven-Greenby on December 15 and also to committing another crime while the subject of a conditional discharges and failing to surrender to bail. The bench ordered Rosbotham to complete 32 days of rehabilitation activities and pay a fine and compensation to his victim totalling £230.

A woman has been jailed for six months for stealing a purse in Wigan. Caron Edgar, 53, of Fene Close, Livepool, snatched the purse containing cash and bank card worth £100 from Glenys Shepard on February 2 in the town. She admitted to the crime and also stealing £400 in a purse from Joan Rae in Liverpool on May 15 last year. The bench told her she was receiving a custodial sentence because of her record of offending and “flagrant disregard for people and their property”. She was also ordered to pay back the amounts stolen from each victim.

A young man has denied an accusation of assault. Carl Hayes, 21, of Hardybutts, Scholes, stood before Wigan magistrates to plead not guilty to attacking Kieron Pickavance on February 7. The case was adjourned until May 3.

A Wigan man who committed a violent burglary has been jailed for five years and four months. Matthew Fillingham, 26, of Battersby Street, Ince, had stood before a Bolton Crown Court judge charged with entering a home as a trespasser and trying to steal items during which time Stephen Crehan was subjected to violence. A trial was due to begin this month but before then Fillingham changed his plea to admit to the aggravated burglary. Returning to court for sentence, he was given a 70-month custodial term and ordered to pay £181 to victim services.

A Wigan pensioner has been accused of historical sexual offences against a 10-year-old girl. Denis Gregory, 78, of Laburnum Road, Lowton, denies the charges dating back to December 2008 and January 2009 and also to a more recent accusation that he sexually assaulted a woman over 16 between January 1 and February 28 last year. The two historical charges allege inciting a girl under 13 to touch him sexually and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of an under-13. He was released on bail pending a first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge on March 16 but that bail is conditional on his not having contact with a named person.

A 61-year-old former Wigan traffic warden who finally admitted to peddling cocaine has been spared an immediate prison term. Bolton Crown Court heard that Maureen Thompson, of Boyswell House, Scholes, callled herself “gangster granny” after she started selling drugs to pay off her debts, having had to give up her warden job due to injury.

She was accused of intending to supply the drug on February 12 2020 and was further accused of having criminal property, namely drugs. The court was told she stored a drugs stash on a baking tray and in Tupperware in her kitchen and kept a list of debtors on her mobile so she could run a drug-dealing hotline. Thompson herself had become an addict and when police raider her home, they found 47 wraps of cocaine - some hidden in a sock and others stuck to the underside of a drawer - plus a binbag full of cutting agents used to bulk up the drugs. She had denied both charges and a trial was set for January. But on the eve of the hearing she changed her pleas. Now returning to court, she was given a two-year jail sentence but it was suspended for two years. She was given a 12-month community order which includes 30 days of rehabilitation activities and a four-month curfew.

A man who assaulted a police officer has been given a two-week spell in jail. Andrew Gaskell, 39, of Drummond Square, Worsley Hall, appeared before Wigan justices to admit to assaulting a Pc Cole by beating him on September 9 last year. The bench told him the offence was aggravated by the fact the victim was an on-duty emergency worker. As well as the custodial term, Gaskell must also pay a £128 fine.

A Wigan man has denied being a drug dealer. Connor Davenport, 23, of Poolstock Lane, Worsley Mesnes, stood before justices to plead not guilty to possession of cocaine, cannabis and the horse tranquillizer ketamine with intent to supply them on May 25 2019. He was released on unconditional bail until he makes his first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge on March 16.

A man has admitted trying to burgle a Wigan restaurant. Andrew Baratinsky, 38, of Kimberley Place, Ashton-in-Makerfield stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to entering Hel’s Kitchen in the town’s Gerard Centre as a trespasser with intent to steal on December 3. Sentence was adjourned until March 17 at the same court.

Sentencing of a woman who admitted to two shoplifting offences will take place next month. Sukenya Morrissey, 37, of York Road South, Ashton, stood before justices to admit to stealing a £25 gift set from Quality Save and another worth £160 from Boots in the Gerard Centre on December 11. The case was adjourned until March 17 for the preparation of pre-sentence reports, before which Morrissey is on unconditional bail.