Wigan's week in court

A Wigan dangerous driver has been spared an immediate jail sentence but hit with a four-year road ban.

Grahame Liptrot, 37, of Knowsley Road, Golborne, had previously appeared before Wigan and Leigh 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 last year.

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.

Now back in the dock he has been given a 12-month custodial term but it was suspended for 18 months. After his four-year driving disqualification he will have to take an extended re-test and he must also complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

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.

A man and woman who finally admitted they threatened unlawful violence have been punished by a judge.

Martin Wade, 29, and Stacey Waugh, 43, both of Broom Road, Worsley Hall, had been due to stand trial at Bolton Crown Court this month relating to an incident in June last year.

But they later changed their pleas to guilty. Wade was given a nine-month prison sentence but it was suspended for 12 months while he has to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

Waugh was hit with a 12-month community order which includes 10 days of rehabilitation activities and 50 hours of unpaid work.

They had been two of five people charged in connection with the fracas but the other three had immediately pleaded guilty to the same charges.

Michael and Wendy Porter, 42 and 34 respectively and who live in Broom Road, Worsley Hall, along with 40-year-old Michael Bridge, of Bulteel Street in Pemberton, were all sentenced last August. Michael Porter was given a 45-week jail term although it was suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities and 60 hours of unpaid work. Michael Porter was given a nine-month prison sentence which was suspended for 12 months while Wendy Porter was given 32 weeks suspended for the same period.

They were ordered to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities and 60 hours of unpaid work. All three had to make payments to victim services.

A Wigan man has appeared before justices accused of absconding from jail.

Darren Pilkington, 40, of HM Prison Garth in Leyland, was in the dock at the borough’s magistrates’ court charged with escaping from custody, namely Kirkham open prison near Preston, on Wednesday May 25.

He was remanded in custody until he next appears before a Bolton Crown Court judge on July 4.

A man and a woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender by police investigating the case have been released under investigation.

A Wigan man who tried to smuggle a flare into a Premier League football game at Crystal Palace has been jailed for six months.

Luke Dwyer, 29, of Sunnyside Road, Ashton, had previously 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.

Returning to Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing, he was given a six-month custodial term due to the suspended sentence breach.

A Leigh woman accused of benefit fiddling has walked free after the case against her collapsed.

Angelique Rama, 50, of Willow Crescent, Leigh, had been due to stand trial at Bolton Crown Court for two counts of universal credit fraud after denying the offences.

But the case was dismissed by the judge after the prosecution offered no evidence and Ms Rama was told she was free to go.

A trial date has been set for a man who denies damaging a car taken without the owner's consent, criminal damage and failing to give police a breath specimen.

Scott Johnson, 40, of Orrell Hall Close, Orrell, stood before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to damaging a computer screen, tablet and BMW car to the tune of £1,750 belonging to Hayley Gannon, the last of which he allegedly drove away without her permission.

These offences and that of allegedly failing to complete a breath test all took place on February 16.

The case was adjourned until a trial takes place at the same court on August 1, before which time Johnson has been released on conditional bail and has received an interim driving disqualification.

A driver without a licence or insurance fled the scene after crashing into another vehicle.

Jack Unsworth, 28, of Crooke Road, Standish Lower Ground, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to being at the wheel of a Volkswagen Golf in Shaftsbury Avenue on February 1 without the proper documentation when it hit and damaged a VW Tiguan before driving off.

The bench adjourned the hearing for the preparation of presentence reports and Unsworth will learn his fate on June 21.

A Wigan woman has appeared in the dock accused of launching a vicious hammer attack against another woman.

Lyn Duffy, 44, of Mill Street, Ashton, is charged with causing Julie Witter grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon, namely a hammer on Harwick Road, Ashton, last June.

The case was adjourned.

A 63-year-old Wigan woman and a 58-year-old man have been accused of dealing drugs.

Susan Atherton and Kevin Jones, both of Warrington Road, Wigan, are charged with possessing amphetamine and the pharmaceutical diazepam with intent to supply them on September 3. They are further accused of having criminal property, namely £30,020 in cash,

Wigan justices heard. Atherton has denied all the charges against her and she was released on unconditional bail pending a first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge on June 29. Jones has yet to plead and is next due to appear before justices on June 1.

Two teenagers from the south of England have appeared before a judge to deny raping a woman in Wigan.

The 16-year-old from Essex and 17-year-old from Bedfordshire are accused of sexually attacking an 18-year-old in Aspull on April 18.

Making their first appearing at Bolton Crown Court, both entered not guilty pleas and a trial date of October 3 was set. It is scheduled to last five days.

The 16-year-old was remanded in custody until then while the older boy was released on bail.

A Wigan van man who admitted to dangerous driving while on his mobile has been spared an immediate jail sentence.

Mark Martin, 41, of Car Street, Platt Bridge, had appeared before Wigan and Leigh justices to plead guilty to driving dangerously a Ford Transit on Powell Street, driving while using a hand-held phone and also to failing to give police a breath or blood sample.

All the offences took place on March 25.

Sent to Bolton Crown Court for sentencing, he received a four-month custodial term for dangerous driving although it was suspended for 12 months; and for failing to give a specimen he was banned from driving for two years after which he must take an extended test, must complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities and pay a £750 fine plus £340 costs and a £128 victim services surcharge.

There was no separate penalty for the phone offence.

A man has been given a suspended jail sentence for breaking into a garden shed.

Derek McLaglan, 47, of Sycamore Avenue, Golborne, stood before Wigan magistrates to admit to the burglary of the outhouse in Charles Street, Golborne, on April 14.

He was given a four-month prison sentence but it was suspended for 18 months.

McLaglan must also complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities, be the subject of a 7pm to 7am electronically-tagged curfew for 12 weeks and pay £100 compensation.

A 37-year-old who confessed to attacking a woman and a police officer will learn his fate from a judge.

Dean Carradice, 37, of Harrow Road, Marsh Green, stood before borough magistrates to admit causing Kelly Nabbs actual bodily harm and assaulting a PC Clark by beating.

He further pleaded guilty to damaging a car door to the tune of £50 belonging to Kevin Nabbs.

All the offences happened on April 16. The case was committed to Bolton Crown Court when Carradice will be sentenced on June 20.

A 52-year-old Wigan woman has been convicted of handling goods stolen from WHSmith.

Stephanie Holden, of Warrington Lane, Wigan, had denied receiving scratch cards and confectionary of value unknown on October 7 2020, but was found guilty by borough magistrates after a trial.

She was ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities and pay a total of £445 in the form of a fine, victim services surcharge and court costs.

A motorist caught at the wheel of an animal transporter while under the influence of drugs has been banned from the road for three years.

Michael Gibbons, of Bulteel Street in Pemberton, stood in the dock at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court to plead guilty to a series of motoring offences on two separate occasions.

The hearing was told that the 46-year-old tested positive for cocaine when police stopped an Iveco-Ford livestock carrier on the road near to his home on August 28 last year. He had initially denied the charges but later changed his pleas to guilty.

He then pleaded guilty to driving a Renault Megane without a licence or MOT certificate – again on Bulteel Street – on December 19 and that he failed to stop for a police officer.

As well as the 36-month ban, he was ordered by the bench to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of rehabilitation activities while there is £395 to pay to victim services and the courts.

A 32-year-old Wigan man has been accused of viciously attacking a woman.

Shane Woods, of Balcarres Avenue, Aspull, appeared before borough justices charged with causing a woman grievous bodily harm on March 22.

He was remanded in custody until he makes his first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge on June 27.

A man has admitted to going to a street from which he was barred on three days running and each time attacking a car.

Matthew Johnston, 28, of Butler Street, Wigan, stood before borough magistrates to admit to breaching a non-molestation order by going to Hey Street in Wigan on March 9, 10 and 11 and on every occasion, causing £1,500 damage to a Land Rover Discovery.

Johnston also admitted to breaching a curfew on May 22. He was released on conditional bail until a further appearance before the bench on June 15.

A man who punched a dog and on Christmas Day failed to stop one from attacking an elderly relative has been given a community punishment.

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. His punishment includes an alcohol treatment requirement, he must observe a night time curfew for two weeks and complete six days of rehabilitation activities.

Mitchell also has £245 to pay to the courts and victim services.

A 29-year-old man has admitted to a May thieving spree.

Stephen Mann, 29, of Crompton House, Scholes, stood before borough justices to plead guilty to five counts of theft, stealing air fresheners, laundry products from Bargain Buys, B&M in both Marus Bridge and Standishgate and M&S totalling £1,000.

Sentence was adjourned for reports until June 7.

A motorist found in possession of cocaine - and high on it as well - has been disqualified from driving for three years.

Ryan Dunleavy, 32, of Perth Avenue, Ince, appeared before Wigan magistrates to admit to having the class A substance.

He had also been found guilty in his absence at a previous trial of being under the influence of cocaine when police stopped a Volkswagen Tourag on Leader Street, Scholes, on October 10 2020.

As well as the road ban, he also has fines, a victim surcharge and court costs totalling £993 to pay.

A Wigan man has been accused of seriously sexually assaulting a woman. Vincent Grant, 46, of Warrington Road, Ince, stood before borough justices facing a single criminal charge. The attack is alleged to have taken place in Wigan on May 27.

Because of the seriousness of the charge, the bench immediately sent the case to be heard at Bolton Crown Court where Grant is due to make his first appearance on July 4.

Before then he has been remanded in custody. Grant has not yet entered a plea.