Wigan's week in court

A young man has been accused of a string of motoring offences following a collision at a Wigan fun fair last month in which a woman was badly injured.

Jordan O’Reilly, 21, of Croal Avenue, Platt Bridge, has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, disqualified driving, not having insurance and perverting the course of justice and has been remanded into custody to appear at Bolton Crown Court on December 11.

The charges relate to an incident on Wigan Road, Hindley, at around 8.20pm on Saturday October 7 when it is alleged that a silver Ford Focus failed to stop for police officers and a woman was injured at a funfair being held on Hindley Market Square.

The car was abandoned with its engine running but someone eventually managed to stop it after it lurched forward into some trampolines.

Initially it was reported that the casualty had escaped relatively unscathed, but police later said that while her injuries were not life-threatening or life-changing, they were in fact serious.

She was taken to hospital after the collision and a man at the scene needed treatment for a gashed hand.

Two men, aged 21 and 19, were later arrested following an investigation by GMP's Transport Unit.

Officers are still appealing to anyone with relevant information or footage of the incident - including CCTV, mobile or dashcam - to report it.

This can be done by calling 0161 856 8115 quoting incident number 3493 of 7/10/2023.

Footage can be submitted via email to: 16857@ gmp.police.uk.

Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

A Wigan police constable is to face trial accused of supplying almost four kilos of cocaine.

PC Andrew Talbot, who is in Greater Manchester Police’s serious crime division, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on November 9 where he pleaded not guilty to supplying up to 3.943kg of the class A drug to another between February 13, 2018 and January 21, 2020.

He also denied an offence of misconduct in public office involving accessing the force’s intelligence information about local drug dealers.

The 53-year-old additionally pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a notice under the Regulation Investigatory Powers Act. (RIPA).

The court heard that the misconduct allegation alleges that between May 1, 2018 and February 7, 2020 while acting as a police officer he wilfully misconducted himself by accessing information in relation to intelligence held by GMP of known and/or suspected drug dealers in the Greater Manchester area.

The RIPA offence involves him allegedly failing to disclose the Pin/passcode to a mobile telephone on or about July 12, 2021.

The father-of-two, of Findlay Street, Leigh, is to stand trial beginning on September 9 next year alongside another Leigh man Keith Bretherton, 49, of Bexhill Drive, who denies a charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct between April 1, 2017 and March 1, 2020.

The charges against bearded Talbot were authorised following an investigation by GMP's anti-corruption unit.

Talbot, who is currently suspended from duty, and Bretherton, were both further remanded on bail to await their trial, which is expected to last two weeks.

A pre-trial review is to be held on August 2.

A jury has found a Wigan borough man not guilty of a child sex offence.

Grosu Petrica had always denied committing the crime – of deliberately engaging in sexual activity in front of a six-year-old girl for his own gratification – but had to wait three years for a trial.

When it took place at Bolton Crown Court it took the jury three hours to return a unanimous not guilty verdict.

The 59-year-old of Prospect Street, Tyldesley, was told he was free to go.

The assault was alleged to have taken place in October 2020 and he made his first court appearance the following May.

Since then court backlogs had held up proceedings until this month.

A Wigan man will go on trial next year accused of being on the phone while driving.

Paul Ballard, 38, of Wigan Lane, Wigan, appeared before Manchester and Salford magistrates to plead not guilty to being at the wheel of a Range Rover Sport while using a mobile on High Street, Manchester, on November 10 last year.

The case was adjourned until March 21 when a trial is set to take place at Bolton Magistrates’ Court.

The defendant is being prosecuted under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations of 1986 and the Road Traffic Act 1988.

A man accused of murdering a Skelmersdale schoolboy has made another appearance before a judge.

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 this year.

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

A trial date of January 12 2024 has been confirmed and it is scheduled to last six days.

However, Figueiredo’s case is due for another “mention” on December 8.

In the meantime he remains remanded in custody.

Following the youngster’s death, relatives described him as a “gentle giant” with a “heart of gold” who was “working towards becoming a car mechanic and had his whole life ahead of him”.

Liam Doyle, 44, of Wareing Street, Tyldesley has been sentenced at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court for a shoplifting offence.

He received a fine, and was ordered to pay compensation and a victim surcharge, along with costs to be paid to the Crown Prosecution Service.