Wigan's week in court

​A man has been accused of dealing drugs as police crack-down on anti-social behaviour in a Wigan borough town centre.

Sergio Rotariu,34, from Leigh has been charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs. He has been remanded into custody to appear at Bolton Crown Court on Tuesday October 17.

A social media post by GMP Leigh, Atherton and Hindley said “These charges relate to an arrest made by PC Winrow, and the Leigh Neighbourhood Policing Team, on Monday 18 September in Leigh Town Centre as they continue to crack down on anti-social behaviour.”

A Wigan man and a serving police officer have stood before magistrates accused of drug crimes and corruption.

Andrew Talbot, 53, who was posted to GMP’s Serious Crime Division, is charged with two counts of possessing Class A drugs, possessing ammunition, failure to comply with a S49 RIPA notice, theft, intent to supply Class A drugs, conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, three counts of misconduct in public office and three counts of accessing police systems without authority.

RIPA notices are issued to require an individual to provide requested information such as a PIN or password to access electronic devices.

Talbot – whose home address area has not been given by police – is currently suspended from duty.

Keith Bretherton, 50, of Wigan has been charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, possessing Class A drugs, and possessing Class B drugs.

They appeared at Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates’ Court and a date now has been set for a pre-trial review at Liverpool Crown Court on October 19. Both were released on bail until then.

A statement from Greater Manchester Police said that the allegations relate to incidents between 2017 and 2021.

It said that GMP’s Anti-Corruption Unit became aware in February 2020 and arrested Talbot in the same month. Bretherton was arrested in June 2021. The suspects were charged earlier this month, upon receipt of authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service.

A Wigan woman who admitted to being a serial fly-tipper faces a big bill and hours of graft.

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.

She has now been ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work, plus a fine and court costs totalling £1,653.

A Wigan teenager has admitted to dangerous driving.

Cole Lyszkiewicz, 18, of Malvern Crescent, Ince, appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to the single charge of riding a motorbike dangerously on Warrington Road, Ince, on February 12 this year. The case was adjourned for sentencing.

A Wigan man who admitted to launching an attack has received a community punishment.

Andrew Littler, 49, of School Way, Wigan, had previously appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to the assault by beating of Peter Rosbotham on August 4 last year and to failing to answer police bail in November.

Returning to court to learn his fate, he was ordered to complete a 12-month alcohol treatment programme and pay a fine, costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £319.

A young Wigan man has admitted to a series of motoring crimes including taking someone's car without permission and driving it while almost four times over the drink-drive limit and crashing it.

Callum Mawdsley, 25, of Chesterton Close, Wigan, appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to taking a silver Ford Focus without the owner's consent and then causing a road accident which damaged the vehicle.

The hearing was told that Mawdsley gave a reading of 126 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes. He also admitted to driving the car without a licence or insurance and to a bail breach four days later.

He has been remanded on conditional bail pending sentence on October 24.

A Leigh man has been accused of sexual assault.

Robert Shepherd, 60, of Fell Street, Leigh, appeared at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court to face the singel charge. He was remanded to appear next before a judge at Bolton Crown Court on Thursday November 2.

Shepherd was arrested after officers were called to reports of a sexual assault of a female at an address in Leigh on September 26.

A young man has admitted to a string of shop thefts where hard liquor was always the target.

Jack Mountford-Holding, 28, of Oxford Street in Leigh, appeared before Wigan justices to plead guilty to eight charges of stealing bottles of whiskey, bourbon and rum, together worth hundreds of pounds from Morrisons, Asda and B&M between June and November last year.

He also admitted to possessing a knife in Morrisons on November 5 and cannabis possession on November 17. He was released on unconditional bail until he is sentenced at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on November 16.