Wigan's week in court

A man who racially abused a Wigan police officer has narrowly avoided an immediate prison term.

Stephen Langley, 37, of Sandringham Drive, Leigh, appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to using threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour against Pc Syed on July 3 last year and that the offence was racially aggravated.

The bench gave him a 12-week jail but suspended it for 12 months.

He must also pay compensation to his victim and a surcharge to victim services totalling £164.

Meanwhile 43-year-old Gareth Banks, of Tamar Grove in Leigh, appeared before the same court to plead guilty to threatening a Pc Sherrington on January 30 2022.

He was given an 18-month conditional discharge and must pay £26 to victim services.

A Wigan teenager who admitted to dangerously driving a motorbike has been banned from the road for 12 months.

Cole Lyszkiewicz, 18, of Malvern Crescent, Ince, had previously appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to the serious offence committed on Warrington Road, Ince, on February 12.

Returning for sentencing, he received the year-long disqualification and must also complete five days of rehabilitation activities plus 120 hours of unpaid work while also paying £114 to victim services.

The trial of a man accused of handling a stolen car has been delayed for 19 months.

Stuart Martin, 49, of Victoria Street, Platt Bridge, had been due to stand trial on the charge this month but the case has now been postponed until May 29 2025.

A Wigan man and woman who denied charges of harassment and abuse have walked free from court after the case against them collapsed.

Amy Darbyshire, of Marlborough Avenue, Ince, had appeared before borough justices to plead not guilty to harassing Margaret Darbyshire and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour on April 20 last year.

Also charged with harassment is 61-year-old Mark Kelly, of Chatsworth Avenue, Ince.

He too denied the charge.

And at the latest hearing the prosecution offered no evidence and both defendants were told they were free to go and the cases against them were dismissed.

A Wigan woman accused of assault will stand trial in the spring.

Rebecca Pownall, 30, of Church Avenue, Bickershaw, is charged with assaulting Lisa Parry by beating her on January 6.

She has pleaded not guilty and a trial is now scheduled to be held at Bolton Magistrates' Court on April 15.

Pownall was remanded on bail, with conditions not to contact the complainant or to enter a street in Platt Bridge.

A Wigan man who admitted carrying out public order offences at a railway station has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Brett Connor, 31, of Hey Street, Ince, used threatening or abusive words or behaviour towards both Scott Boon and Jamie Lee Kirkham at Salford Crescent station on November 16.

He pleaded guilty to the offences and also admitted breaching his bail conditions by failing to attend court on August 30.

Connor was jailed for eight weeks, suspended for 18 months, by Wigan justices.

He was told to attend an accredited programme for 31 days, do 100 hours of unpaid work and complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities.

He must pay £114 to fund victim services and £85 prosecution costs, and was fined £50 for breaching bail.

An officer accused of stealing almost four kilos of cocaine from Greater Manchester Police and committing a string of other offences has appeared in a crown court dock.

PC Andrew Talbot, who is in GMP’s serious crime division, faces a total of 13 charges and was due to enter his pleas on Thursday, but this has now been postponed until next month.

The 53-year-old officer, a father-of-two, of Findlay Street, Leigh, faces charges including two of possessing cocaine; possessing ammunition without a certificate; stealing 3.9kg of cocaine from GMP; supplying cocaine; three of misconduct in public office; three of unauthorised access to police systems and failing to comply with a notice made under section 49 of the Regulation Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).

He also stands charged, along with another man Keith Bretherton, of conspiracy to commit misconduct.

Bretherton, 49, of Bexhill Drive, Leigh, pleaded not guilty to that offence.

He admitted possessing 1.39kg of cocaine with intent to supply and possessing 85g of cannabis, both on June 9, 2021.

The charges against bearded Talbot span from April 2017 to July 2021.

They were authorised following an investigation by GMP's anti-corruption unit and led to the hearing at Liverpool Crown Court.

Details of the alleged offences include unauthorised access to GMP’s Opus and PNC computer systems to search for information about a particular man and woman and searching for information about known or suspected drug dealers in the force’s area.

The RIPA offence allegedly involves him failing to disclose the PIN/passcode to a mobile telephone.

Both men were released by Judge Gary Woodhall on unconditional bail until November 9.

Talbot is currently suspended from duty.

The court case against a Wigan man accused of not providing information to the police has been dropped after nearly two years.

Craig Alger, 25, of Bores Meadow, Standish, had pleaded not guilty to failing to tell police the identity of someone driving a BMW, who was alleged to have committed an offence, on October 29, 2021.

No evidence was offered when the case was brought before Tameside Magistrates' Court and the charge has now been dismissed.