Wigan's week in court

A much postponed trial of a Wigan man who denies throttling a woman has now been delayed until next spring.

Matthew Griffin, of Kimberley Street in Springfield, had been due to face a June 12 hearing at the borough's magistrates' court after pleading not guilty to assaulting the named person by beating in Hindley on December 28 and intentionally strangling her two days later.

The case was then delayed until July 18, then August 4 and August 18 but has now been rescheduled until April 30 next year.

Until then the 26-year-old remains on conditional bail.

Griffin has admitted to damaging a door – to the tune of £100 – belonging to the same complainant’s door on December 29 and will be dealt with for that at the end of the trial.

An arrest warrant has been issued for A Wigan woman who admitted to being a serial fly-tipper.

Anne Marie Liptrot, 43, of Beech Tree Houses in Bamfurlong re-appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to four charges of dumping household waste in an alleyway behind her home.

The hearing was told that the offences happened between February 2020 and May 2022 and that in December 2021 she failed to comply with a community protection notice relating to the littering.

Over the course of the 22 months when the offences were allegedly committed, the court was told, a total of 34 bags and black bin bags of rubbish were spotted containing items such as plastic storage boxes, cardboard boxes, a broken chair and clothing.

The charges said that there was no waste management licence in place to authorise this fly-tipping.

The case has been adjourned for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.

But she failed to turn up for sentencing this month and so justices issued a bench warrant for her arrest.

A former police officer has been jailed for 21 months following a stalking probe by his colleagues.

In June 2022 Lancashire Constabulary’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) received a complaint into the behaviour of two officers.

While they were looking into that complaint they received information relating to the conduct of defendant Justin Fraser, who at that time worked as a response sergeant in the force’s South Division which includes Parbold, Wrightington, Up Holland, Appley Bridge and Skelmersdale.

Following an investigation by the ACU, it was found that Fraser had been stalking an officer and used police systems to check her duties and what she was investigating.

The unit established there was no policing purpose for doing this.

The police anti-corruption unit arrested Fraser, 51, from Liverpool, in September last year and suspended him from duties.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Fraser was charged with stalking and misuse of police computer systems.

He pleaded guilty when he appeared before a judge at Preston Crown Court in June and has now been sentenced at the same court.

Fraser retired while still under investigation.

A misconduct hearing on August 17 found that if he was still a serving officer Fraser would have been guilty of gross misconduct and he would have been dismissed from Lancashire Constabulary.

Fraser was added to the Barred List, which prevents him from ever working in law enforcement again.

Temporary Det Chief Insp Eugene Swift, from the ACU, said “We expect the highest standard of behaviour from all our officers and staff, and Fraser’s conduct fell well short of what the public would expect from a serving police officer.

"The fact he is now a convicted criminal reflects the seriousness of what he did.”

A Wigan lorry driver is facing a hefty court bill after being caught driving without a licence or insurance.

Firicel Buruiana, 42, of Warrington Road, Platt Bridge, appeared before Tameside magistrates to face justice after they heard that he was at the wheel of a Ford Transit Tipper on Warrington Road, Abram, on February 22 when not having the proper and legal documentation.

Two fines and a court costs bill mean that he has a total of £1,320 to pay.

A man has been jailed for flouting a court domestic violence protection order.

John Cunliffe, 55, of Heatherstone Street in Leigh, appeared before Manchester and Salford magistrates to admit being in the company of a named woman in Wigan on August 18 when expressly forbidden by justices from doing so.

The bench gave him a 17-day jail term because of his "flagrant disregard" for court orders.

A Wigan 47-year-old has been accused of peddling medical heroin.

Paul Adair, of Rose Avenue in Abram, appeared before Manchester and Salford justices to face a charge of conspiring with others to supply diamorphine in the UK between January 1 and 31 2020.

He was released on conditional bail pending a first appearance before a Manchester Crown Court judge on October 30.

Conditions include residing at his home address and observing an electronically-tagged curfew between 10pm and 5.30am.

A man has appeared before a judge to deny murdering a Skelmersdale schoolboy.

Dylan Bragger, 15, was pronounced dead after officers were called to reports of a stabbing in Digmoor Road at around 9pm on Thursday June 29.

Felipe Figueiredo, 28, of Birleywood, Skelmersdale, was later charged with murder and at a Preston Crown Court hearing this week he entered a not guilty plea to the single charge.

The accused made his appearance via video link from prison and only spoke to confirm his name and enter his plea.

Recorder of Preston, Judge Robert Altham, scheduled the murder trial to begin on January 12 next year.