Wigan's week in court

A sixth man arrested on suspicion of conspiring to murder a Wigan father has been remanded in custody.

Mohammed Razgar, 40, of Plane Avenue, Worsley Hall, made a brief appearance before Wigan and Leigh justices on Thursday March 17.

He faces a single charge of conspiring with others to murder 37-year-old Christopher Hughes from Marsh Green, who disappeared on February 18 and whose body was found four days later on White Moss Road North, in Skelmersdale.

A post-mortem examination later concluded that Mr Hughes had died from multiple serious injuriesRazgar was remanded in custody by the bench pending a first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge on April 8.

On that date he will be joined by co-accuseds Alan Jad, 51, of Ridyard Street, Wigan Khalil Awla, 48, of Greenwood Avenue, both in Worsley Hall, Erland Spahiu, 33, of Uppingham, Skelmersdale; Curtis Balbas, 30, of Matheson Drive, Worsley Hall, and Dean Smeaton O'Neill-Davey, 29 of Bulteel Street, Pemberton.

A ninth man has been accused of being involved in a major Wigan drugs racket.

Nathan Cooke, 30, of Eskdale Road, Hindley, appeared before borough magistrates charged with conspiracy with eight others to supply kilos of cocaine and acquire criminal property, namely cash.

He was remanded in custody until a trial on April 13 when he will appear in the dock at Bolton Crown Court alongside Dean Smallwood, 41, of Landgate Lane, Bryn; Jamie Kenny, 31, of Ashwood Avenue, Abram; Leon Kenny, 30, of Warrington Road, Abram; Sam Causer, 31, of Egerton Street, Abram; Nathan Hart, 31, of Warrington Road, Abram; Lee Standen, 40, of Liverpool Road, Hindley; Daryl Golding, 35, of Brookland Avenue, Hindley and Ian Ormshaw, 41, of Mesnes Avenue, Wigan.

A Wigan man who assaulted a female police officer while serving a community sentence has been given a suspended jail term.

Dean Garrity, 31, of Church Street, Golborne, stood before borough magistrates to plead guilty to the assault by beating of PC Sumner in Lowton on March 8.

The hearing was told this breached a community sentence imposed by Tameside magistrates for breaching a molestation order in May last year.

Garrity was given a total of 12 weeks in prison although the term was suspended for 12 months. He is the subject of a supervision order and must complete a Building Better Relationships course and he must pay compensation, court costs and a victim surcharge totalling £363.

A young man has admitted to going armed in public with an axe. Joshua Hodson, 23, of Laithwaite Road, Worsley Hall, stood before Wigan justices to admit to the single charge of possessing an offensive weapon in Corvus Close, Ince, on November 21. The hearing was adjourned until April 6 for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.

A Wigan motorist will be sentenced by a judge after admitting to appalling driving.

Peter Ridehalgh, 50, of Gantley Avenue, Billinge, stood before borough magistrates to plead guilty to dangerously driving a Volkswagen Polo on February 10 in Moor Road, Orrell.

A second charge of failing to stop for a police officer on the same date was withdrawn.

Imposing an interim disqualification, the bench sent Ridehalgh to be sentenced at Bolton Crown Court on April 6.

A motorist has admitted to driving when almost three times over the legal alcohol limit. Wojciech Eichelberger, 47, of Walthew Lane, Platt Bridge, further pleaded guilty to driving a BMW 525D without insurance or a licence on Davies Street on January 30. He will be sentenced at the same court on April 6 before which he is on bail but the subject of an interim road ban.

A drunken-driver who hit another car and damaged a police van when refusing to stop for officers has been jailed for four months. Keiran Wood, 33, of Livingstone Street, Ashton, stood before Wigan justices to admit being almost twice the legal limit when at the wheel of an Audi 4 in Ince Green Lane which was in collision with a Citroen DS3. He failed to stop, damaged a police vehicle and was found not to have either insurance or a licence. The bench told him he was receiving a stiffer punishment than he might otherwise have because of previous convictions. Wood must also pay £128 to victim services.

A man has denied stalking a woman for three and a half months.

Yousif Shockha Mohammed, 32, of Barnsley Street, Wigan, appeared before borough justices to plead not guilty to harassing Izabela Smielek between November and March, instances including confronting her in the street, offering her lfts, making unwanted and unwelcome visits to her neighbourhood and street and following her in her car.

He was released on conditional bail until a trial on May 30 when a Kurdish interpreter will be required.

A motorist will be sentenced by a judge after admitting to several road offences including dangerous driving.

Nathan Modlinsky, 27, of Belmont Avenue, Bickershaw, stood before borough justices to plead guilty to being at the wheel of a BMW 320 on March 11 which was driven dangerously on Higher Green Lane and Lower Green Lane, Astley, failed to stop for police and was driving without a licence or insurance.

The case was sent to Bolton Crown Court where he will learn his fate on April 11.

Two breaches of a non-molestation order have earned a Wigan man 100 hours of unpaid work.

Stephen Gore, 61, of Hodges Street, Wigan, stood before borough justices to admit to being within 50m of an address which he was prohibited from approaching on both September 16 and 22 2020. A third count of doing the same on September 19 that year was denied and dismissed for lack of evidence.

As well as the community punishment, Gore must pay £180 to the courts and victim services.

A Wigan woman has denied breaching Covid restrictions 17 months ago by attending a Bonfire Night public gathering.

Lauren Capstick-Saunt, 27, of Hamilton Road, Ashton, appeared before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to breaking the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) by going to an outdoor gathering at Garswood and Simms Road Labour Club on November 5 2020.

The hearing was adjourned until May 17 when a trial is set to take place.

A motorist has been given an interim disqualification after admitting he was caught drink-driving while banned from the road.

Aidas Jarusevicius, 54, of Upper Dicconson Street, Swinley, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to being at the wheel of a Volvo S40 near his home on February 5 while disqualified from driving and so uninsured. He also admitted to giving a reading of 73 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the legal limit is 35.

The hearing was adjourned pending sentence on March 29.

A Wigan man has been cleared of threatening to burn down a woman’s home when she and her children would be inside. Stuart Roe, 50, of Broadway, Hindley, had been due to stand trial over a charge that he made the threat to Charlotte Welch but did admit to breaking a £150 window belonging to her on the same day. But no evidence was offered by the prosecution for the threat charge and so it was dismissed. However, Roe admitted to the criminal damage, was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay compensation, court costs and a victim surcharge totalling £257.

A 32-year-old man has admitted to launching two attacks. Daniel Taberner, 32, of Palm Avenue, Ashton, stood before Wigan justices accused of assaulting Connor Schofield and Leanne Ottey by beating on December 21 and on his latest appearance entered guilty pleas. He was given a community punishment including the completion of 15 days of rehabilitation activities, lessons on “thinking skill” and the payment of a fine, compensation, victim services surcharge and court costs totalling £620.

A trial date has been set for a former Wigan local election candidate accused of harassment. Alan Baines, 65, of Alderley Road, Hindley, had previously appeared before local justices to deny a campaign of intimidation of Jason Metcalfe between April and September last year, namely that he repeatedly swore, laughed, shouted and stared at him. The case was moved to Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court where a trial date has now been fixed for June 13. Baines stood as an independent in May 2021’s council elections.

A woman has been spared an immediate jail sentence after finally admitting she went armed with a blade in public. Josie Pollard, 45, of Falconwood Close, Gidlow, had stood before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to unlawfully having a kitchen knife on Frog Lane on August 30. But on returning to the court she changed her plea to guilty and was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, although this term was suspended for 12 months. She was ordered to complete an alcohol treatment programme and 20 days of rehabilitation activities. There is also £128 to pay to victim services.

A Wigan woman has denied assaulting three people. Katie Allen, 23, of Hawthorn Rise, Whelley, stood before borough justices to plead not guilty to the assault by beating of three named people and also to breaking a vase - all on November 29 last year. The case was adjourned until April 7 before which she has been released on conditional bail.

A young man has admitted to charges of assault and motoring offences. Karwan Oswan, 23, of Bolton Road, Ashton, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty 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 happened on February 16. Oswan was released on unconditional bail until his sentencing at the same court on March 18.

A Wigan man has pleaded guilty to flytipping. Ryan Whittle, 23, of Woodhouse Lane, Springfield, had been accused of dropping three bin bags of household waste in an alleyway at the rear of his then home in Henry Street, Tyldesley. He will be sentenced on March 18 and is on bail until then.

A woman has now been given a suspended prison sentence after failing to observe the terms of a community sentence. Wigan justices heard that Laura Ainscough, 34, of Morris House, Scholes, missed two appointments at the Well Women Centre which were part of the punishment handed down last year for an assault and two cases of theft. She was given an eight-week prison sentence although it was suspended for 12 months. Ainscough must also complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

A man convicted of breaching a restraining order by twice contacting his ex-wife has been given a suspended prison sentence. Stuart Cox, 49, of Douglas House, Scholes, had denied getting in touch with Amanda Cox on November 29 and December 3 but was found guilty after a trial at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court. He was given a 12 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and must complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities. He must also pay a total of £788 in court costs and a victim services surcharge.

A Wigan motorist is awaiting sentence after finally admitting to dangerous driving.

Graeme Liptrot, 37, of Knowsley Road, Golborne, had previously appeared before Wigan justices to plead guilty to driving a BMW 3 Series while unlicensed and under the influence of cannabis on Ince Green Lane, Ince, on June 7 and to driving a Honda Jazz on Rydings Lane, Golborne, without a licence or insurance while not wearing a seatbelt on June 24.

But he had denied dangerously driving a Peugeot 307 on Warrington Road, Wigan, on April 12. That case was sent to Bolton Crown Court for trial. But before it could begin he changed his plea to guilty and the case was adjourned for sentencing on March 31.

For the other offences he was given a three-and-a-half-year driving ban, must complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities and must pay £119 to victim services and the courts.

Sentencing of a young man who tried to swindle a relative out of their savings has been delayed. Cory Barrett, 21, of Inward Drive, Shevington, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to attempting to draw up to £50,000 out of the TSB account by false representation, namely claiming he was doing it on behalf of Keith Barrett when no such permission had been given to him. The court case had been adjourned for sentencing by a judge at Bolton Crown Court this month, but the hearing has now been postponed until April 4.

A trial date has been set for a man facing violence charges. Brandon Gill, 21, of Bond Street, Leigh, is accused of wounding with intent, making threats of violence and possessing a bladed article in a public place in August 2020. There will be a pre-trial review at Bolton Crown Court on May 9 followed by a trial on May 30.

A man who admitted to having a 3ins lockable knife in a public place has avoided an immediate spell behind bars.Anthony Heyes, 41, of Warrington Road, Ince, stood before Wigan justices for having the weapon in Grasmere Avenue on October 5.

Returning for sentence, he was given a four-month custodial term but it was suspended for 12 months. He has to complete a course for people with drink problems and 15 days of rehabilitation activities. There is also £213 to pay in costs and a victim services surcharge. The knife has been confiscated.

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