Wigan's week in court

A Wigan man has finally admitted to threatening to kill his wife after a charge of assaulting her was dropped.

William Barnes, 65, of Scot Lane, Newtown, stood before borough justices to amend a threats to kill charge he had denied to guilty.

However an allegation that he caused Pamela Barnes actual bodily harm on the same occasion - February 25 - was dismissed when no evidence was offered.

Barnes was remanded on conditional bail until June 20 when he will be sentenced at the same court.

A fine has been imposed on a Wigan woman found guilty in her absence of failing to provide information as to who was at the wheel of her car when a motoring offence took place.

Claire Sweetman, 45, of Sandringham Road, had pleaded not guilty at a previous hearing to the charge relating to an offence involving a Volkswagen Polo. But when she did not attend on the date of the trial, magistrates pressed ahead and found her guilty.

She has now been hit with a financial penalty, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £496.

A six-month conditional discharge has been imposed on a young Wigan man for drunk and disorderly behaviour.

Thomas Stokes, 22, of Gordon Street, Ince, stood before borough justices to admit to causing a disturbance on Market Street in Atherton on March 13 and failing to surrender to custody a month later.

As well as the discharge, his punishment also includes the paying of £150 to the court.

A Wigan man has been accused of stealing more than £10,000 worth of prescription medicines from his employer.

Nathan Hart, 31, of Warrington Road, Abram, is alleged, with others, to have taken products to the value of £10,268 from AAH Pharmaceuticals in Warrington between September 14 and December 20 2020.

No plea was entered and the case was sent to be heard by a Liverpool Crown Court judge on June 7.

A Wigan teenager has been sent to prison for two months after admitting to a series of motoring offences and sending an obscene message to the police non-emergency telephone number.

Cameron Spear, 19, of Linney Square, Scholes, stood before borough justices to driving a Renault Clio carelessly and without insurance or a licence on Montrose Avenue, Norley, last June 21 and then again without insurance and a licence on Winchester Close, Orrell, the following day. He also pleaded guilty to making a grossly offensive call to the 101 number on June 24.

As well as the custodial term he was hit with a 12-month driving ban and must pay £263 to victim services and the court.

A motorist who failed to give a blood test after being stopped by police on suspicion of drink-driving has been given a 16-month road ban.

Angela Hibbs, 54, of no fixed address, appeared before Wigan justices to plead guilty to the offences on May 5. As well as the driving disqualification she must also pay a fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £239.

A teenager has been given a community order after admitting to three 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 and a PC Attridge on March 15.

Davies was ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities and pay a total of £200 in compensation.

A woman has been ordered to pay £100 each in compensation to two people she attacked after trying to steal pop vinyl figures and baby toys from a Wigan Lidl store.

Natalie Devlin, 37, of Orchard Street, Wigan stood before borough justices to plead guilty to assaulting Robert Fagan and Megan Cain plus attempted theft all on April 1.

As well as the compensation, Devlin was ordered to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

A Wigan man has been accused of stealing hundreds of pounds worth of items during two thieving sprees at Boots the Chemist.

Christopher Miller, 37, of Vardon Drive, Standish, is charged with stealing a backpack and cosmetic gift sets worth £105 on March 6 and then taking baby clothing and cosmetics valued at £353 three days later.

The case was adjourned to March 1.

A young Wigan man has denied illegally importing two flick knives.

Lewis Kewharding, 22, of Bramble Grove, Worsley Hall, pleaded not guilty to ordering in prohibited weapons on November 2.

The defendant elected for the case to be heard by a Bolton Crown Court judge and jury before whom Kewharding will make a first appearance on June 26.

He is on unconditional bail until his next hearing.

A motorist who at first denied having taken cannabis before driving has now admitted to the offence and been hit with a 12-month road ban and a large bill.

Paul Whittle, 31, of Sandringham Road, Hindley, appeared before Wigan justices to change his plea to guilty on a charge that he tested positive for the class B drug when police stopped a Volkswagen Golf on St Christopher Court on January 4 last year.

He received a fine, must pay a victim services surcharge and his payment to the court is larger than it would have been because he initially denied the charge, meaning his final bill came to £916.

A pet dog has been put down after its owner admitted she failed to stop it from savaging a boy.

Julie Knight, 55, of Barn Lane, Golborne, had previously appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to being in charge of a grey Weimaraner which attacked a named youngster on April 15 in Legh Street, Golborne, and that she didn't do anything to prevent it.

The hearing was told that the dog called Hugo has since been destroyed.

Knight was given a community punishment with a mental health treatment requirement and ordered to pay compensation, a fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £450.

A Wigan schoolboy has admitted to shoplifting, making threats and criminal damage.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named, appeared at Wigan youth court to confess to going to One Stop in Platt Bridge and on February 24 stealing a £4.99 electronic cigarette and four days later £2 worth of chocolate bars.

He also admitted to threatening Andrew Gatenby on February 16 and causing £200 damage to a Vauxhall Astra belonging to Joshua McIver three days earlier.

His punishment involves a four-month referral to the youth offender panel and the paying of costs, a victim services surcharge and compensation totalling £314.

A 57-year-old Wigan woman who failed to give police a breath specimen when they stopped her car was caught almost three times over the limit just four days later.

Angela Howlett, 57, of Common Nook, Ince, stood before borough magistrates to plead guilty to both failing to take a breathalyser test on May 15, and then on May 19 giving a reading of 105 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath when officers held up a Mercedes a Class. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

The case was adjourned for the preparation of pre-sentence reports until June 21.

A shoplifter who stole £50 worth of coffee, air fresheners and Yankee candles from Golborne's Asda store has been given a 12-month conditional discharge by Wigan magistrates.

Paul Lafrenz, 44, of Grasmere Avenue, Ince, must also stump up £132 in compensation, costs and in payment to victim services.

A young man has denied charges of 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 August 22.

A Wigan man has been charged with breaking into three homes in order to steal the victims' cars by obtaining their keys in the space of two nights.

Paul Roberts, 37, of Lincoln Road, Hindley, stood before Wigan justices accused of burgling a home in Middle Turn, Turton, Bolton on February 4 to snatch the keys for a black Audi S5 which was then driven off; on February 5 to getting into an address on Coppull Hall Lane, Coppull, Chorley in order to steal a £62,000 BMW X5 and then the same day burgling a house in Ashton Heath, Ashton, in order to take a £20,000 Audi SQ5.

The bench sent the case to be heard by a Bolton Crown Court judge on June 24 before which Roberts is on unconditional bail.

Six Wigan borough mums and one dad have been punished for failing to prevent their children's truancy during the autumn term of 2021.

Punishments varied for the trio, depending on guilty pleas and whether they turned up for court or not.

Samantha Keys, 37, of Fisher Close, Hawkley Hall, admitted failing to ensure two sons attended the local high school and was hit with a fine and ordered to pay a victim services surcharge totalling £94.

Jade Himme, of Maple Crescent, Leigh, was found guilty in her absence of not making sure two daughters attended Leigh CE Primary regularly, but because she herself failed to attend the hearing and did not enter a guilty plea, she was given a much bigger fine and ordered to pay costs as well as a victim surcharge which came to £1,068.

Stacey Liptrot, 38, of Saddleback Road, Norley, pleaded guilty to failing to prevent her son's truancy from Dean Trust Wigan and was given an absolute discharge.

Cayleigh and Martin Topping, from Kitt Green, admitted to truancy charges regarding a daughter's non-attendance at St Cuthebert's RC School.

Cayleigh Topping was given a six-month conditional discharge and her husband a £60 fine.

Both must pay victim surcharges totalling £54.

Katie Birchall, 33, of All Saints Grove, Hindley, was also given a six-month conditional discharge and must pay £22 to victim services after her son regularly missed classes at St Edmund Arrowsmith RC High in Ashton.

And because 44-year-old Elizabeth Prince, of Blenheim Road, failed to turn up to court and was found guilty in her absence of not ensuring her son's attendance at Marsh Green Primary School, she was hit with a much bigger fine, plus costs and a surcharge coming to £574.

A Wigan resident has been accused of wilfully obstructing the public highway by putting a retractable electric gate across a road.

Stuart Baldwin, 57, of Bryn Gates Lane, Bamfurlong, has been charged with an offence under the 1980 Highways Act by blocking the road near his home where a public footpath crosses Park Brook via Park Brook Bridge.

The case was adjourned until June 17.

A Wigan town centre store has been accused of selling contraband tobacco.

The Euro Shop on Wallgate faces a total of nine charges which largely cover the sale of fake versions of famous brands of cigarette, namely Benson and Hedges, Richmond, Lambert and Butler, Amber Leaf, Mayfair and Marlboro in August and September last year.

The case was adjourned by Wigan magistrates until June 17 at the request of the defence.

A teenaged Wigan sex offender who tried contacting a 14-year-old schoolgirl for sexual purposes has been locked up for two years after admitting being with an under-aged girl.

One of the terms of 19-year-old Connor Lammiman's sentence last year was that he did not have contact with under-16s.

But a Bolton Crown Court judge heard the teen from Lower Longshoot, Scholes, was in the company of a minor between March 28 and April 4 and thus in breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

Lammiman was sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders' institution for breaching a sexual harm prevention order and another 12 months for breaching a suspended sentence. The terms are to be served consecutively.

A perverted Wigan man is awaiting his fate after admitting he made it possible for someone to have sex with a girl under 13.

Paul Holmes, 53, of Woodcock Drive, Platt Bridge, had been due to stand trial on charges of encouraging the rape of a child and trying to arrange for someone to have sex with a girl of 13.

But he then entered a guilty plea to an amended charge of initiating, encouraging or assisting in the commission of an indictable offence, namely sexual activity with a child and this was accepted by the prosecution at Manchester Crown Court.

He will be sentenced on July 8.

A 21-year-old man who admitted to launching a vicious attack has been jailed for 20 months.

James Piper, already of HMP Preston, had pleaded guilty before magistrates to a single charge of unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Lee Dainty during an assault in Wigan on August 23 last year.

A Bolton Crown Court judge gave him the custodial sentence and ordered that he pay a £156 victim services surcharge.

A serial shoplifter targeted the same Boots store for cosmetics seven times in less than six weeks, a court heard.

Scott Hutchinson, 29, of Cornwallis Road, Worsley Hall, appeared before Wigan justices to admit to the seven counts of theft from the shop in April and May during which time around £800 worth of goods were taken.

However sentencing was adjourned until September 5 because he has denied a further charge of being armed with a knife on Norfolk Street on May 22 and a trial on that matter will be held first.