Wigan's week in court

A Wigan man has appeared in court to deny the abduction and sexual assault of a schoolgirl.

Michael Ellis Owen, 33, of Bridgewater Street in Hindley, faces charges of kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault by penetration and false imprisonment.

All allegations concern the same 16-year-old complainant and are said to have taken place on Sunday March 13.

He made a brief appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge who set a trial date of September 5. Owen is in custody until then.

A man accused of deliberately engaging in sexual activity in front of a six-year-old girl for his own gratification will be tried next year.

Grosu Petrica, 58, of Prospect Street, Tyldesley, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court justices to deny the single charge.

It is alleged the offence took place in Wigan on October 17 2020.

Petrica was remanded on conditional bail until his trial date which was set for January 25.

A motorist who was more than four times over the legal drink-drive limit has been given a suspended prison term plus road ban.

Manu Maroottikbalambil-Sajan, 27, of Dobson Close in Wrightington, gave a reading of 143 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath when police stopped a Nissan Micra on Shevington Moor on March 12. He also did not have a valid licence.

After admitting to the charges, the defendant was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

He must follow an alcohol abstention programme for 120 days and is barred from the road for 30 months, although this can be reduced to 229 if he completes a state-sanctioned course for drink-drivers.

He must also pay £213 to victim services and in court costs.

A young Wigan man has denied launching a vicious attack.

Connor Banks, 22, of Eton Terrace, Ince, is charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding William Nicholson on December 2.

Because of the seriousness of the accusation, Wigan and Leigh magistrates sent the case to be heard by a Bolton Crown Court judge and Banks will make his first appearance on May 18.

In the meantime he is on unconditional bail.

A man has finally admitted to vandalising a Wigan pub.

Nial Carney, 46, of Gantley Avenue, Orrell, had been charged with smashing a door and window at The Stag at Orrell Post and initially denied the charge.

But when time came for his trial before Wigan magistrates, he changed his plea to guilty and was ordered to pay a fine, compensation and a victim services surcharge totalling £820.

Initially the damage had been estimated at £2,500 but a revised charge said that the value was unknown.

A Wigan man has admitted to trying to smuggle a flare into a Premier League football game at Crystal Palace.

Luke Dwyer, 29, of Sunnyside Road, Ashton, stood before justices to plead guilty to the offence committed under the Sporting Events of 1985 at Selhurst Park, London, on January 23.

The hearing was told that the incendiary device was found on Dwyer as he tried to enter the stadium before Palace's 1-3 league defeat to Liverpool.

He also admitted to committing the offence while serving a suspended sentence for dangerous driving handed down by a Liverpool judge in March last year.

The Wigan bench sent the case to the city's crown court for sentencing on May 25. Dwyer is on conditional bail until then.

A woman who handled part of a high value public address system stolen before the Run Wigan Fest has been given a 12-month conditional discharge.

Leanne Quereshi, 31, of Linney Square in Scholes, had initially been charged with the theft of the £900 speakers from Leisure Tech early on the morning of Sunday March 20 as the tannoy system was being set up, but this charge was withdrawn by the prosecution and replaced with one of handling stolen goods.

As well as the discharge, her punishment includes paying £106 to the courts and victim services.

A man has admitted to punching a dog and on Christmas Day failing to stop one from attacking an elderly relative.

Ian Mitchell, 56, of Linney Square, Scholes, had initially stood before borough magistrates to deny attacking the animal on December 15 and 10 days later having an out-of-control Japanese Akita called Roxy which bit 80-year-old Maureen Mitchell in her own home.

But on return to court he changed his pleas to guilty.

The case was adjourned until May 23 for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.

Parents have appeared before Wigan justices accused of not preventing their daughter's truancy.

Katie Entwistle and Keiron Monks, of The Avenue, Billinge, are charged with failing to ensure the named child regularly attended Up Holland High School between September and December last year.

They have yet to plead and will return to court on May 5.

Unpaid work totalling 150 hours await a young Wigan man who admitted to flashing.

Ryan Farnworth, 22, of Greenfield Avenue, Ince, stood before borough justices to plead guilty to intentionally exposing himself to cause alarm or distress.

The bench put him on a course for sex offenders and as well as the unpaid work he must also complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities and pay £180 to the courts and victim services.

Sentence has been delayed for a 50-year-old Wigan man who has admitted to assault.

Darren Bithell, 50, of Pryce Avenue, Wigan, stood before borough justices to plead guilty to causing Paul McGreavy actual bodily harm on May 9 last year.

He was committed to Bolton Crown Court for sentence which has now been postponed from an April date to May 6.

He is on conditional bail until then.

A teenager is awaiting his fate after admitting to two attacks, criminal damage and drunk and disorderly behaviour.

Jonathan Davies, 18, of Mayfield Road, Orrell, stood before Wigan justices to assaulting Dana-Lee Moon, smashing a £200 window at Dunkin Donuts in Robin Park and being drunk and disorderly all on the same occasion: January 16.

He also pleaded guilty to assaulting a PC Kay on March 10.

He was released on unconditional bail until May 18 while a pre-sentence report is prepared.

A young Wigan man accused of peddling drugs and possessing a knuckle duster will have his case heard at a higher court.

It is alleged that Connor Galvin, 22, of George Street, Hindley, was found in possession of both cannabis and amphetamine with intent to supply the class B substances and also the offensive weapon - all on September 22 2020.

The bench sent the case to Bolton Crown court where Galvin will make his first appearance before a judge on May 18.

A man who harassed and attacked a woman has received a suspended prison term.

Joshua Evans, 29, of Warrington Road, Ince, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to assaulting Lorraine Williams on August 4 2020 - a charge he had previously denied - as well as admitting to five days of harassment around the same time which included bombarding her with unwanted text messages and sending her a video of himself sitting outside her home.

Justices gave him a 12-week jail term but suspended it for 12 months.

He must also complete 30 days of rehabilitation activities and pay £263 to victim services and the courts.

A banned motorist caught at the wheel has been given a further 29 months' disqualification.

Scott Thompson, 32, of Medlock Way, Platt Bridge, appeared before Wigan justices to admit flouting a driving ban when in Rydal Place, Abram, on March 3 and not having insurance cover.

As well as serving the ban, he has 32 days' rehabilitation activities to complete and £300 to pay in a fine and bills to the courts and victim services.

A Wigan teen has admitted riding a moped without a helmet or insurance.

And Josh Kenny, 19, of Fisher Close, Worsley Mesnes, also pleaded guilty to obstructing a police officer on the same day - November 19 last year - after he was stopped on a Peugeot Speedfight on City Road, Kitt Green.

He was ordered by Wigan justices to pay a fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £239.

A young man has been charged with an assault and three counts of criminal damage.

Glen Singleton, 26, of Sandy Lane, Hindley, is accused of assaulting Xerxes Stallworthy and vandalising an Audi TT and Toyota Auris belonging to Ruskhana Begum and Anisha Aya respectively in Bolton on April 19 and also to damaging the window of a caravan belonging to Judith Charters at the Lowther Holiday Park in Penrith on July 9.

Singleton was released on conditional bail until he re-appears before Wigan justices on May 20.

A Wigan schoolboy has been accused of assault and arson.

The 12-year-old, who cannot be named, faces accusations of causing Olivia Rigby actual bodily harm and starting a fire at an address in Woodhouse Lane, Beech Hill, on April 15. An alternative accusation of assault by beating in regard to Ms Rigby has also been brought.

Appearing at Wigan Youth Court, the boy was remanded into detention until he appears at Manchester Magistrates' Court on April 28. No pleas have yet been entered.

A Wigan woman’s dog was in such a terrible condition that she had to be put to sleep to end her suffering, it has been revealed.

Clare Lockett, 52, of Howard Street, Pemberton, was banned from keeping dogs for 10 years after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Now, the health problems facing German shepherd Cara have been revealed by the RSPCA, which prosecuted Lockett.

Cara was found to be in a poor condition with wounds on all of her paws and legs when Lockett took her to a clinic at the RSPCA Wigan, Leigh and district branch on August 24.

In evidence to Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court, veterinary surgeon Darinka Toth said Cara had been suffering for at least two weeks with anal and skin furunculosis, an immune-mediated skin disease which most often occurs in German shepherds.

Lockett told the vet she had noticed the skin issues “a few weeks previously”, was bathing the dog and had placed bandages on her legs.

Cara, who was in middle age, was “severely underweight” at 23.3kg with a body condition score of just one out of nine.

Lockett claimed she had only noticed the weight loss in the week before taking the dog to the clinic.

In her report, the vet said Cara’s wounds smelled of infection and were painful on touch, while a larger wound under her tail left her unable to toilet without discomfort and pain.

The infection in her nail beds and wounds on her paws left her in pain on standing and walking, she stated. The vet offered to put Cara to sleep to end her suffering, which her owner agreed to.

Ms Toth stated: “In my opinion Cara was suffering at least for a period of two weeks, but likely for considerably longer. A responsible owner would have sought veterinary care when first noticing the wounds and weight loss.”

Lockett pleaded guilty to two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

In mitigation, the court heard she was affected by learning difficulties and suffered from anxiety and depression.

She had owned Cara for seven years without previous issues, but the court was told she accepted she should have gone to the vets sooner.

A Wigan man has denied making hundreds of incident images of children.

Christopher Casey, 42, of Chatteris Close, Hindley, stood before a Bolton Crown Court judge facing a charge that he created 102 pictures that fall into the most serious abuse categories (A), plus 221 category B images and 1,531 deemed category C between May 6 2017 and June 25 2020.

He further denied a charge of possessing the category B drug amphetamine.

Casey was released on bail pending his trial which was fixed for October 17.

A young assailant has been spared an immediate jail spell after admitting he tried to cause his victim grievous bodily harm.

Kieran Barrington, 22, of Forest Avenue, Beech Hill, had been charged with attempting the unlawful and malicious wounding of Stephen Argent and possessing a kitchen knife on November 5.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations, the case was immediately sent to Bolton Crown Court where Barrington has now been given an 18-month prison sentence although it has been suspended for 24 months.

He must complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities and 150 hours of unpaid work and is the subject of a restraining order preventing contact with Mr Argent.

Last year when the charges first went before Wigan magistrates, Barrington was given a community punishment for stealing a woman’s keys on the same day as the incident with Mr Argent.

He admitted the theft from Chelsy Hyemes and the bench was told the crime was committed while Barrington was already the subject of a community order for bank card fraud and handling stolen goods.

His punishment then included 230 hours of unpaid work, an alcohol treatment course and paying a fine and court costs totalling £135.

Two teenage boys have been charge with raping a woman in Wigan.

A 16-year-old from Essex and a 17-year-old from Bedforshire - who cannot be named for legal reasons - are charged with the serious sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman, alleged to have occurred in the early hours on Easter Monday in Aspull.

They have appeared separately before Youth Court justices and been remanded into youth custody to appear at Bolton Crown Court on Monday May 30