Wigan's week in court

A trial date has been set for a Wigan man who denies inflicting serious assaults on two people.

Benjamin Devlin, 26, had previously stood before Wigan justices accused of causing Leticia Cook and Stefan Gradwell grievous bodily harm in Wigan last July 14. An inmate of HMP Berwyn, he has now appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge to learn that his trial will begin on June 20. It it scheduled to last for four days.

A young man is facing charges of assault and motoring offences.

Karwan Oswan, 23, of Bolton Road, Ashton, stood before Wigan justices accused of attacking Stephen Woodward in Hindley, driving without insurance or a licence, failing to give a specimen and failing to surrender to police.

All the offences are alleged to have happened on February 16. Oswan has yet to plead.

A woman is awaiting sentence after admitting to theft and fraud. Kelly Brindle, 36, of Worthington Street, Hindley, had stood in the dock at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court to admit using a stolen bank card belonging to James Hunter in order to make a purchase and so expose the owner to risk of loss on June 27 last year.

She pleaded not guilty to an identical charge involving the same complainant but relating to another incident the same day and this was dismissed.

She also admitted to stealing a wallet, its contents and sunglasses belonging to Mr Hunter on June 26 or 27. All the offences took place in Bolton. Brindle will be sentenced on March 31.

A motorist who drove off after a crash has admitted to careless driving and failing to report an accident. Alan Archer, 57, of Kenyon Road, Standish, stood before magistrates to admit to the two offences relating to a collision with street furniture near his home on January 3.

He had six points put on his licences and must pay a fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £635.

A 54-year-old Wigan man has admitted drunkenly attacking a police officer.

Karl Foster, 54, of Harvey Lane, Golborne, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to assaulting emergency worker PC Cavanagh by beating in Wigan on February 3.

He was put on a course for people with a drink problem, must complete 32 days of rehabilitation activities and pay £330 in compensation, a fine and a victim services surcharge.

A motorist has been accused drink-driving in Wigan while banned. Aidas Jarusevecius, 54, of Upper Dicconson Street, Swinley, stood before Wigan justices charged with driving a Volvo S40 outside his home on February 5 while disqualified, under in influence of alcohol and while uninsured.

The case was adjourned to March 10.

A man has been accused of robbery, snatching a Wigan milkman’s float and then crashing it. Christopher Mather, 37, of Beaumont Grove, Orrell, appeared before borough justices charged with taking the electric vehicle without the owner’s consent and causing damage to it before it was recovered.

He is further accused of robbing Terence Smith of an android device and bank card, and to driving without insurance. He was bailed until March 17.

A 41-year-old Wigan man is facing charges concerning the possession of indecent images of children and animals. Christopher Dickinson, of Cheltenham Avenue, Ince, stood before borough magistrates accused of having 188 pictures which fall into the most serious category of abuse; A.

There are further charges of possessing 123 category B images, 105 category C, and one prohibited picture of a child, plus 22 “extreme porn” images of intercourse between humans and animals.

Because of the seriousness of the charges, the case was immediately sent to Bolton Crown Court where Dickinson will make his first appearance before a judge on March 30.

Yet to enter pleas, Dickinson is on unconditional bail until then.

A Wigan man who vandalised a display outside a seaside resort bar has received a 12-month conditional discharge.

Simon Smith, 31, of Sydney Street, Platt Bridge, appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to wrecking the £250 A-board at the Mist Bar in Scarborough on May 20 last year.

As well as the discharge he also has to pay compensation, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £357.

A Wigan woman accused of drugs offences will appear before a judge next month. Megan Woodham, 29, of Moat Hall Close, Newtown, was charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine after police executed warrants at properties across the North West earlier this month.

She appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court, where the case was sent to Liverpool Crown Court for a hearing on March 15. Woodham was granted conditional bail until then.

A man has denied twice breaching a restraining order by going to a Wigan home.

Borough justices heard that Andrew Edie, 31, of Orchard Street, Wigan, broke an order issued by Manchester and Salford justices in August 2020 but attending an address in Heysham Road, Wigan, on both October 27 and November 1 last year.Pleading not guilty to both charges, Edie was released on conditional bail pending a further appearance before the bench on March 25.

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