Wigan's week in court

A serial shoplifter has been jailed for six months after committing further crimes.

Bobby Lee Garry, 28, of Helvellyn Road, Norley, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to stealing eight pairs of headphones and six grape vine plants together worth £250 from the Newtown Asda supermarket on June 13 and 14 when he was barred from going there because of previous offences.

He also stole four bunches of flowers worth £12 from the Spar on City Road, KItt Green, on June 12.

For the three thefts and the two criminal behaviour order breaches, Garry was given a total of 26 weeks in custody.

A man who attacked a woman and a police officer is awaiting his fate from Wigan justices.

Shane White, 49, of Orchard Street, Wigan, stood before borough justices to plead guilty to assaulting Sharon Robinson and a PC Allender in Leigh on May 17 and also using threatening or abusive language on the same occasion.

Sentencing was adjourned until July 7 for the preparation of reports, before which White is on conditional bail.

A Wigan schoolboy has been accused of sexual assaulting a seven-year-old.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is alleged to have attacked the girl on October 5 last year, Wigan Youth Court heard.

The case was adjourned until the teenager appears next before Manchester and Salford justices on June 30 for a case management hearing.

A 16-year-old Wigan boy has admitted to making indecent pictures of children.

The teenager, who cannot be identified, appeared at Wigan Youth Court to confess to creating two images that fall into the gravest category (A), another nine which were deemed category B and three more which fell into category C between May 26 and June 6 last year.

He was referred to a youth offender panel for a six-month contract and must also pay a total of £105 to the court and victim services.

A Wigan man who denied inflicting serious assaults on two people has changed his pleas.

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 later appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge to enter not guilty pleas, but at a further appearance he changed them to guilty and he will now be sentenced on July 22.

A 37-year-old who confessed to attacking a woman and a police officer has been jailed for two years.

Dean Carradice, 37, of Harrow Road, Marsh Green, had 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. Sent to Bolton Crown Court for sentencing, he was imprisoned for 24 months and made the subject of a two-year restraining order preventing contact with the Nabbs’.

A young man who at first denied threatening and violent behaviour while armed with a blade will be sentenced next month after changing his plea.

Hedi Shariyatzada, 20, of no fixed address, had appeared before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to threatening unlawful violence and wielding a kitchen knife in Laburnum Street, Ashton, on June 13.

A Bolton Crown Court trial had been set but after finally confessing to the crime, Shariyatzada was bailed until he is sentenced on July 12.

Two Wigan borough men are awaiting their fates after finally admitting they are drug peddlers.

Mark Brickley, 36, of Tarleton Avenue, and 25-year-old Benjamin Southern, of Gloucester Street, both in Atherton, had previously stood before a Bolton judge to deny possessing cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis with intent to supply on April 4 2019.

But with a trial date looming they changed their pleas to guilty and have now been bailed until they are sentenced at the crown court on July 18.

A Wigan man has been cleared of unlawfully possessing a knife in public.

Kevin Astle, 36, of Burley Crescent, Winstanley, had always denied having the weapon illegally in June last year and a trial date had been fixed for this month.

But while the knife was forfeited, the charge against him was dropped before a jury could be sworn in and he was told he was free to go.

A 2023 trial date has been set for a Wigan man who denies importing two flick knives.

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

The defendant elected for the case to be heard by a Bolton Crown Court judge and jury and on his first appearance there he was told that the trial would begin on March 21 2023.

He is on bail until then.

A Wigan man has admitted telling a police officer that he would kill a woman.

William Barnes, 65, of Scot Lane, Marsh Green, made the threat to PC Darbyshire on February 25, intending the officer to fear that he would kill Pamela Barnes.

He initially denied the offence, but changed his plea to guilty when he appeared at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court.

Barnes was given an 18-month community order, with 30 days of rehabilitation activities and 40 hours of unpaid work. He must pay £200 prosecution costs and a £95 victim surcharge.

A restraining order bans a man from contacting a woman he assaulted.

Hugh Brady, 41, of Tintagel, Skelmersdale, admitted assaulting Kristine Brady by beating her on July 29 last year.

Wigan magistrates issued a restraining order forbidding him to contact her in the next 12 months.

Brady was also given a 12-month community order with 27 rehabilitation activity days and told to pay a £202 fine, £95 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

A banned driver who was caught behind the wheel at more than three times the drink-drive limit has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Mark Edwards, 45, of Jacob Street, Hindley, had 109mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath when he was driving a Ford Focus in Bolton on December 17.

The legal limit for driving is 35mcg. He was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence at the time and did not have insurance.

Edwards pleaded guilty and Wigan magistrates jailed him for eight weeks, suspended for 18 months, due to the seriousness of the offences and because he was a repeat offender.

He was also banned from the roads for 10 years.

Edwards was told to do 150 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months, attend 15 rehabilitation activity days, and pay £128 to fund victim services and £85 prosecution costs.

A shoplifter who stole items worth hundreds of pounds from three Wigan stores has been ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation programme.

Kerry Monks, 34, of Darlington Street East, Wigan, pleaded guilty to nine offences of shoplifting when she appeared before Wigan justices.

From Asda in Wigan, she stole goods worth £361.76 on February 3, worth £30 on February 8, worth £171.15 on February 11, and worth £273 on March 23.

She also took items from Boots worth £189.95 on March 31, £29.98 on April 6, and £845.63 on April 13.

Monks also stole goods worth £109.97 from Gee Tees on April 2 and worth £10 on May 3.

Magistrates imposed a community order with a drug rehabilitation requirement and 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

She was ordered to pay £350 in compensation.

A thief who repeatedly stole handbags from a shop - despite being banned from a Wigan retail park - has been jailed for nine months.

Christopher Whittle, 37, was not allowed to go to Robin Retail Park, due to a criminal behaviour order issued by Wigan magistrates in November 2020.

But he went there on June 1,5, 6 and 10 and stole four handbags each time from TX Maxx, worth hundreds of pounds.

Whittle, of HMP Forest Bank, pleaded guilty to six offences. Magistrates jailed him for nine months, due to his repeat offending.

He must pay £156 to fund victim service and £85 prosecution costs.

A shoplifter who broke a criminal behaviour order by stealing from stores in Wigan town centre has been jailed.

Joshua Hughes, 24, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to 12 offences when he appeared at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court.

He admitted going to Boots, in the Grand Arcade shopping centre, on May 31; Iceland, on Standishgate, on June 2 and 3; B&M Bargains, on Standishgate, on June 3 and 4; and Hurley's on June 11, despite being banned from them all by a criminal behaviour order.

Hughes stole an electric toothbrush worth £80 from Boots, 10 air fresheners worth £34.90 from B&M Bargains, a laundry detergent bottle worth £11 from Iceland, and a Hugo Boss T-shirt worth £59 from Hurley's.

He also attempted to steal two laundry detergent bottles worth £22 from Iceland and 17 jars of coffee worth £85 from B&M Bargains.

Magistrates decided to jail Hughes for a total of 16 weeks, saying he had a disregard for court orders and was a repeat offender.

He must pay compensation totalling £102.95.

Magistrates have dismissed the case of a Wigan woman accused of assault and theft, after no evidence was offered.

Susan McCarthy-Morgan, 56, of Woodhouse Lane, Beech Hill, had been charged with assaulting Louise Horrobin by beating her on January 10 and stealing food worth £160 from Farmfoods on the same day.

She had denied the offences and the case has now been dropped.

A man has admitted stealing a handbag from a live music venue in Wigan town centre.

Anthony Lee, 32, of Gantley Avenue, Billinge, pleaded guilty to taking the bag belonging to Jemma Livingstone from Fatbird Lounge, on Wallgate, on January 9.

Wigan magistrates imposed a two-year conditional discharge and told him to pay £85 towards prosecution costs and £22 victim surcharge.

A five-day trial has been fixed for a Wigan 64-year-old accused of a series of child sex crimes.

James Williamson, of Trevore Drive, Standish, appeared in the dock before a Bolton Crown Court judge having pleaded not guilty to a total of six charges relating to alleged incidents between May 2018 and May 2020.

One accuses him of sexually assaulting a girl of 13 and two more involve getting a girl of 15 to engage in sexual activity of a non-penetrative nature.

A further two concern communications of a sexual nature with an under-16 and one count of indecent exposure.

He was released on bail pending the start of his trial at Bolton on September 12.

A Wigan man accused of stealing hundreds of pounds worth of items during two thieving sprees at Boots the Chemist has walked free after the case collapsed.

Christopher Miller, 37, of Vardon Drive, Standish, had 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.

But at the latest hearing, justices were told that the case had been discontinued.

A 22-year-old has been given a 12-month conditional discharge after finally admitting to an attack.

Ryan Farnworth, of Greenfield Avenue, Wigan, stood before borough justices to change his plea to guilty over the assault by beating of Teegan Corrigan on March 19, having previously denied it.

He also has £107 to pay to the court and victim services.

A 57-year-old woman who failed to give a breath test when stopped by police and then was almost three times over the limit when pulled over again weeks later has been banned from the road for four years.

Angela Howlett, 57, of Common Nook, Ince, had stood before borough magistrates to admit to 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.

Returning to court for sentencing, she was told that the 48-month ban could be cut to 48 weeks if she takes a state-sanctioned course for drink-drivers.

There is also an alcohol treatment requirement to her punishment and Howlett must also pay a victim services surcharge, court costs and fine totalling £300.

A man who assaulted a woman and then was found in possession of cocaine by the police who came to arrest him has been fined.

Gary Kenyon, 36, of Greenwood Avenue, Wigan, stood before borough justices to admit assaulting Lauren Greenhalgh by beating on March 24 and then having the class A drug the following day.

He must pay a total of £617 comprising the fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge.

A man has been made the subject of a community order by Wigan magistrates after admitting assault, harassment, issuing threats and three counts of criminal damage.

Kevin Fairhurst, 51, of Upper Dicconson Street, Swinley, stood before justices to plead guilty to wrecking a bench and door belonging to Amanda Proffitt, harassing her in the week leading up to that incident on January 15 and also menacing her on January 8.

He also pleaded guilty to assaulting Christopher Walker and damaging the bonnet of his car on January 11 and to further damaging a vehicle belonging to Corey Atkins on January 15.

He was put on an alcohol treatment programme, must complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He also has £780 to pay in compensation along with payments to the courts and victim services.