Wigan's week in court

The latest round-up of those who have appeared before Wigan magistrates and in the dock at crown court.
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Sentencing of a shoplifter who finally admitted to menacing the people who had detained her has been delayed.

Claire Forbes, 41, of Millers Lane, Platt Bridge, had pleaded guilty to stealing £60 worth of goods from Iceland in the town on October 30 last year but denied threatening unlawful violence afterwards.

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However, she later changed her plea to guilty and also confessed to an August bail breach.

Wigan and Leigh courtWigan and Leigh court
Wigan and Leigh court

She had been due to be sentenced in early November but the hearing has now been delayed until November 25 to give more time for the preparation of reports.

A Wigan teenager who admitted threatening a man while armed with a machete has been locked up for a year.

Shaun Connolly, 18, of Kingsdown Road, Abram, had previously appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to the single charge of menacing Alan O'Reilly while wielding the blade in Wyre Avenue, Platt Bridge, on August 25.

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Returning to the court for sentencing, he was told he was going to be committed to detention in a young offenders' institution for 12 months because he had "wielded a machete in the street."

He must also pay £187 to victim services.

A trial date has been set for a woman who denies menacing a Wigan neighbour.

At her latest appearance before Wigan magistrates, Lisa Fisher, 40, of Rathen Avenue, Ince, stood before borough justices to enter a not guilty plea to the single charge of harassing Glynn Rostron, using abusive, threatening or insulting language or behaviour on January 29 last year.

The bench adjourned the hearing until a trial on March 23, before which Fisher is on bail conditional that she has no contact with the complainant.

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A Wigan man has admitted being involved in a hit and run crash which injured a woman and then claiming the car had been driven by a thief.

Botond Berzsenyi, 23, of Leigh Road, Hindley Green, previously pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice, but changed his pleas to guilty as a three-day trial was due to begin at Bolton Crown Court.

It followed an incident in Bolton on June 25, when he drove a Mercedes E Class car on Chorley New Road dangerously and was in a collision with Natalie Standish, who was injured.

He then conspired to make a false report that the car had been stolen in order to pervert the course of justice, the court heard.

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Berzsenyi was remanded in custody at the end of the hearing and will appear at the same court to find out his sentence on December 9.

A young Wigan man who admitted to bad driving while banned and was convicted of repeatedly flouting a non-molestation order will be sentenced by a judge.

Jay Cooke , 25, of Beech Hill Avenue, Beech Hill, had previously appeared in court to plead not guilty to driving a Ford Fiesta carelessly on Wigan Road, Standish, while banned on December 11 last year.

But he has since changed his pleas to guilty.

Cooke was also charged with going to an address in Ridyard Street, Worsley Hall, on three occasions within four days during February last year which was in contravention of a court order preventing him from doing so.

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He pleaded not guilty to those charges but was convicted in his absence by magistrates.

He will now be sent to Bolton Crown Court for sentencing for these offences and the fact that some were committed while he was serving a suspended sentence.

Cooke will be dealt with on December 19.

A Wigan man accused of threatening a couple with a hammer has walked free after the case against him collapsed.

Guy Cowen, 51, of Lowe Street in Golborne, had been charged with menacing Kelly and Chris Abbott while wielding the blunt instrument near his home on June 26.

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He had denied the charge and, at the latest hearing at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court, was told that the case was being dismissed because no evidence had been offered by the prosecution.

A man has been ordered to go teetotal for three months after launching a drunken attack in a Wigan town centre bar.

Lee Dutch, 29, of Prestt Grove, Worsley Mesnes, stood before borough magistrates to admit causing Christopher Nye actual bodily harm in Harry's Bar, Wallgate, on October 22 last year.

The bench gave him an eight-week prison sentence but suspended it for 12 months.

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Further punishment included observing a 90-day alcohol abstinence order and be monitored during that time; he has 15 days of rehabilitation activities to complete and must pay compensation, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £318.

A mugger who targeted lone women in Wigan is awaiting his fate.

Shane Liptrot attacked four victims, injuring two of them when he dragged them to the ground to steal their handbags, Bolton Crown Court heard.

The 23-year-old of Anson Place, Marsh Green, pleaded guilty to four counts of personal robbery plus two of fraud by false representation when trying to use bank cards he had stolen.

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Liptrot was remanded in custody pending sentence on December 14.

Liptrot was arrested on September 25 by police investigating the spate of muggings in the Scholes area.

At the time PC Andrew McCoombes from GMP Wigan West said that once Liptrot was arrested they were not seeking anyone else in connection with the crimes.

He added: “We would also like to commend Wigan Central Watch CCTV team, who went to great lengths to track the suspects movements prior to the robberies which led to a swift identification.”

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A trial date has been set for a 33-year-old Wigan man who denies charges of assault, theft and criminal damage against the same woman.

Nicholas Clough, of Woodhouse Lane, Springfield, appeared before borough magistrates to deny attacking Lorraine Clough on both August 2 and 23, that on the first occasion he stole a necklace from her.

He did enter guilty pleas to breaking a glass and taking her mobile on the second occasion and also changed a previous not guilty plea of stealing a £40 electric razor from Boots on April 10.

He will be sentenced for those offences after the trial takes place at the same court on November 24, before which Clough is remanded in custody.

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A motorist who broke the speed limit on four motorways in a day has been spared a driving ban because he would not be able to support his family if not allowed to drive. Wigan magistrates heard that David Briscoe drove at 60mph on smart motorway and roadworks sections of the M60, M602, M62 and M6 on November 7 last year when the limit stipulated a 50mph limit.

Under totting up he would normally have been disqualified because the infringement meant he had accrued more than 12 penalty points.

But mitigating evidence was offered by the 41-year-old of Elnup Avenue, Shevington, that his career as a self-employed videographer would be wrecked by an inability to use a car in that he would lose a lot of custom which would be very difficult to regain.

His equipment was too bulky to take on public transport too.

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The hearing was told he was married with one child, his wife was a teacher who would not be able to support the household on her wage alone, that the child would have to be removed from nursery.

Furthermore he has elderly parents, one whom has dementia and balance issues, and if there was a medical emergency wouldn't be able to get to their house in time.

The bench took pity on him and gave him three penalty points on his licence and ordered that he pay a fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £326.

A Wigan man accused of domestic violence has walked free from court after the case against him collapsed.

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Ricki Abbott, 30, of Ormskirk Road, Pemberton, had been charged with assaulting the woman by beating her on July 3 this year.

He had entered a not guilty plea just two days after the alleged incident.

Now, on returning to Wigan and Leigh Magistrates, the defendant was told he was free to go after the prosecution offered no evidence and the case was dismissed by the bench.

A man has been released on conditional bail after denying harassing a neighbour.

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Peter Rosbotham, 58, of Langdale Crescent, Abram, appeared before Wigan justices accused of hurling threats and abuse at Terri Byrne on July 14.

After entering a not guilty plea, the defendant was released on bail conditional that he does not have any contact with the complainant nor enter Langdale Crescent.

A trial date of March 28 was set at the same court. Rosbotham is now living elsewhere.

A teenager has denied trying to inflict serious injuries on another young man. Joshua Seddon, 18, of Ashley Road, Hindley Green, stood before Wigan justices to enter a not guilty plea to a charge that he maliciously and with intent, attempted to cause Ben Waterworth grievous bodily harm on August 14.

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At the same hearing he admitted to causing £100 damage to a window belonging to Mr Waterworth and possessing a knife on the same occasion as well as sending threatening or abusive texts to another unnamed male between August 14 and 18.

He will be sentenced for those offences following his trial at the magistrates' court which is scheduled for March 30.

He is bailed until then but it carries several conditions including the necessity to sleep at his home address and not to contact a number of named people nor enter Rylands Street.

A young Wigan man who part throttled a woman has been sent to prison.

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Jordan Pyke, 28, of Queen Street in Pemberton, had originally denied two counts of strangling Lorraine Molyneux and assaulting her three times.

But after no evidence was offered over three of the charges, he changed his pleas to guilty to one count of strangulation and one of assault on September 16.

Jailing him for a total of 32 weeks, borough justices said that his offences had been aggravated by the fact that he was serving a suspended sentence for another assault at the time he attacked Ms Molyneux.

He must also pay £154 to victim services.

A woman found with class A drugs has been fined.

Siobhan Green, 32, of Drummond Square, Worsley Hall, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to possessing crack cocaine and medical heroin (diamorphine) when arrested by police on February 9.

The bench took her guilty pleas into consideration.

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Her court bill of £168 consists of the penalty and a payment to victim services.

A young man who dangerously drove a car he had taken unlawfully has been spared an immediate prison spell but barred from the road for 18 months.

Tyler Roughsedge, 21, of Westbourne Close, Ince, stood before Wigan justices to plead guilty to taking a Volkswagen Golf without the owner's permission, driving it dangerously and failing to stop for a police patrol.

He also admitted to driving without a licence and insurance. All the offences took place on July 14.

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He was given a 12-week custodial sentence but it was suspended for 18 months, which is the same period he is disqualified from driving.

Roughsedge also has 30 days of rehabilitation activities to complete along with 200 hours of unpaid work.

Court costs and a victim services surcharge mean he must pay £239 too.

A woman accused of racial abuse has walked free after the case against her collapsed.

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Kerry Monks, 34, of Redesmere Close, Newtown, had denied hurling threats and abuse at Alam Intikhab on November 15 last year and when the matter was due to come to trial at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court, the case was thrown out when the prosecution didn't offer any evidence.

A 64-year-old has denied launching an attack.

Martin Hegarty, of Overdale Way, Skelmersdale, stood before Wigan justices to enter a not guilty plea to the charge that he assaulted James Giblin in Up Holland on December 23 last year.

The case was adjourned for a trial at the same court which is scheduled to take place on March 7.

A 54-year-old motorist banned for drug-driving was caught at the wheel again just two days later with crack cocaine, Wigan magistrates heard.

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David Porter, of Rose Street, Ince, appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to driving a Mercedes outside his home on August 26 when he had been disqualified from holding a licence only two days earlier by the same court for March 25 offences of speeding and being under the influence of cocaine.

He also admitted to being in possession of the class A banned substance on the same occasion.

He was given a 12-week prison sentence which was suspended for 18 months, he must complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities and now he has been barred from the road for five years.

Explaining why Porter merited a custodial sentence, the chair of the magistrates said: "There has been previous offending, this offence was committed instantaneously after the imposition of a driving ban, and you have shown a disregard of the law and court orders."

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He added that the reason for suspending the sentence was because there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

A fine for the drug possession charge plus court costs and a victim services surcharge mean Porter also has £419 to pay.

A Wigan man has denied stealing hundreds of pounds in charity cash.

Stephen Wilkinson, of Crabtree Road, Worsley Hall, had been due to appear before borough justices charged with the theft of £742 from Macmillan Cancer Support on October 8 2021.

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After entering a not guilty plea to the single charge of theft relating to an incident on October 8 2021, he was released on unconditional bail pending a first appearance at Bolton Crown Court on December 21 for a trial.