Wigan's court round-up

Round-up of people brought before local magistrates ...
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An arrest warrant has been issued for a Wigan man accused of assault and breaking a police telephone in London. Stuart Grady, 32, of Dorothy Walk, Bamfurlong, had been due to appear before borough magistrates charged with causing £148 damage to a phone belonging to the British Transport Police in Islington on November 12 and then attacking Vilmos Varga in the capital four days later. But he failed to turn up and so a bench warrant was sent out.

Anthony Sumner, 36, of Almond Brook Road, Standish, has agreed to be bound over to the sum of £100 for a year after admitting he breached the peace in Wigan on May 11.

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A motorist caught driving while disqualified and uninsured has been given a further road ban. Ross Ashcroft, 38, of Manor Grove, Orrell, appeared before Wigan justices to admit being at the wheel of a Fiat Doblo near his home on April 29 when banned from being so. The bench further barred him for 12 months and ordered that he stump up a fine, costs and payment to victim services totalling £239.

Wigan and Leigh Magistrates CourtWigan and Leigh Magistrates Court
Wigan and Leigh Magistrates Court

A motorist had taken a cocktail of illegal substances before getting behind the wheel, Wigan magistrates heard. Kieron McDonough, 31, of Walter Street, Leigh, appeared before borough magistrates to admit drug-driving after testing positive for both cocaine and cannabis, having been stopped by police in a Vauxhall Astra on Cross Street, Hindley, on November 13. The bench banned him from driving for 12 months and ordered that he pay a victim services surcharge, fine and court costs totalling £299.

Two teenagers have denied involvement in a burglary in which £4,750 worth of goods were taken from a Wigan home. Jordan Brown, 18, of Saddleback Road, Norley, and 19-year-old Callum Holgate, of Falkirk Grove, Norley, stood before borough justices to plead not guilty to a break-in at an address in Falkirk Grove during the week of October 19 to 26 2019. They were released on bail pending a first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge on June 9.

A woman has finally admitted theft and attack charges. Laura Ainscough, 33, of Birch Street, Gidlow, had stood before borough magistrates to plead not guilty to assaulting Nathan Ryder by beating and stealing candles worth £13.48 from Asda on March 3 and a July trial date was set. However she has now returned to court to change both her pleas and admit to a bail breach. The bench ordered that she complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities, undergo alcohol dependency treatment and pay £113, which comprised a fine and compensation.

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A man has agreed to be bound over to the sum of £100 for six months after admitting a breach of the peace. Wigan magistrates told 29-year-old Anthony Mullen, of Lilac Gardens, Ince, that he should especially keep the peace towards Michelle Mullen.

A Wigan woman has been cleared of assault and dognapping. It had been alleged that Joanne Street, 51, stole a German Shepherd Malamute called Bear from Georgina Traverse and attacked the owner at the accused’s house in Holt Street, Orrell. But after a trial at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court she was found not guilty of both charges.

A Wigan motorist who assaulted a police officer and refused to be breathalysed after his uninsured car was pulled over has been banned from the road for 30 months but spared an immediate jail term. Shane Robinson, 25, of Kingsley Street, Wigan, appeared before borough magistrates to admit the offences in Bolton and Leigh while driving a Vauxhall Agila on February 3. The bench also gave him a 16-week custodial sentence but suspended it for 18 months and ordered that he complete 30 days of rehabilitation activities. Compensation of £150 must also be paid.

Sentencing has been delayed of a Wigan man who was armed with an imitation firearm and a knuckleduster. Mark Sumner, 47, of Liverpool Road, Hindley, appeared before justices to admit having the weapons in public on Blackberry Drive, and possessing cannabis on March 19. He was released on bail pending sentence at Bolton Crown Court this month but the sentencing hearing has now been put off until June 3. Meanwhile he must live at his home address during that time and be the subject to an electronically tagged curfew at night.

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Three men have denied involvement in a vicious assault. Gareth Croston, 40, of Patricroft Road, Ince, 37-year-old Ryan Halliwell, of Millers Lane, Platt Bridge, and Andrew Maloney, 43, of Quarry Place, Scholes, appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge accused of maliciously wounding Scott Dempsey on April 11 with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm - the most serious form of assault after attempted murder. A trial date of November 8 was set.

A drunken man drove at high speed around a village green with a flashing blue light in the window of his car. The antics of Wigan fork lift driver Kenny Moore was spotted by a police officer who realised the Citroen had no emergency vehicle insignia. Moore was pulled up next to the village green at Wrea Green near Kirkham.Checks revealed he was over the drink drive limit. He was also a disqualified driver and had no insurance. Moore of Anderton Street, Ince, admitted the offences and admitted using an emergency blue flashing light in a prohibited manner. Prosecutor Scott Parker said the arresting officer noticed empty lager bottles in the car footwell. When asked about the use of the light Moore said, “I am a first responder.” Steven Townley, defending, said the flashing light was used by Moore when he worked on site as a fork lift driver. He said Moore was a union representative who had gone to Blackpool with a work colleague who was in danger of losing his job. The lawyer said Moore had a drink problem and said that the flashing light had been switched on accidentally by Moore’s dog who was in the car. Moore who had a previous drink-drive conviction was given a six-week jail term suspended for a year. He must do 20 rehabilitation days and an alcohol treatment course. He was banned from driving for 22 months .

A man has denied an accusation that he threatened to bomb a woman’s home. Mitchell Leece, 33, of Windermere Road, Abram, appeared before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to saying he would “blow up” Victoria Goodridge’s house in Kimberley Road, Bolton, on May 2. He was released on bail until another appearance on September 9 but only on condition that he sleeps at his home address, does not approach Ms Goodridge or go to Kimberley Road and that he observes an electronically tagged curfew between the hours of 9pm and 6am.

A man accused of entering a Wigan home that was the subject of a closure order has had the case against him dropped. Paul Seddon, 28, of West Mount, Whelley, had been one of four people charged with going to 26 Linney Square in Scholes last November 9 in contravention of an order made by Wigan Council forbidding visitors because of its reputation for anti-social behaviour. The other three had already admitted the breaches and faced financial penalties, but when Mr Seddon’s case came before the court, the bench dismissed it.

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A young motorist who crashed into another vehicle after jumping a red light in Wigan town centre has been given a road ban and community punishment. Thomas Stokes drove a Ford Focus Zetec which hit a Pegueot 307 Rapier, in Millgate and going through a pedestrian crossing while the lights were on red. The 20-year-old of Gordon Street, Ince, was further charged with careless driving that same day on May 5 last year. Justices disqualified him from driving for a year, ordered that he observe a 7pm to 7am electronically-tagged curfew at his home until June 22 and pay a surcharge to victim services plus court costs totalling £180.

Police are hunting a suspected dangerous driver called Lucifer after a Wigan court no-show. Lucifer O’Malia, 18, of Kenyon Road, Swinley, was due to appear before borough justices accused of dangerously driving a Suzuki Alto on Platt Lane, Millgate, Riverway, Chapel Lane and Poolstock Lane without a licence or insurance on November 11 last year. But he failed to turn up and so a bench warrant was issued.

A trial date has been set for man who denies driving dangerously. Jonathon Cadman, 48, of Rose Court, Ince, has stood before Wigan justices to plead not guilty to driving a Ford Transit on Little Lane, Goose Green, dangerously and without proper insurance cover on March 7, but he admitted causing £50 damage to his Wigan police station cell after his arrest. The case was adjourned until a trial on September 3 after which he will be sentenced for the damage.

A motorist who was more than double the drink-drive limit has been banned from the road for 17 months. But Wigan magistrates told 30-year-old Daniel Fielding, of Wigan Road, Leigh, that if he completes a state-sanction course for drink-drivers he can reduce the disqualification to 17 weeks. The bench heard that when police stopped his Ford Focus on Westleigh Lane on May 11, he gave a reading of 82 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes. As well as the road ban, Fielding was told to pay a victim services surcharge, court costs and a fine totalling £491.

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A driver with a poor motoring record was caught at the wheel without a licence and insurance while over the liquor limit. Alexandru Dodu, 22, of Princess Road, Ashton, appeared before Wigan magistrates to admit the offences, which included giving an alcohol reading of more than double the limit when stopped by police in a Vauxhall Astra on Haseldine Street on April 10. The hearing was told he had two years ago been convicted in Norfolk of driving while banned and without insurance while twice failing to surrender to bail. He will be sentenced for the latest offences on June 1 and is on unconditional bail until then.

A man who verbally attacked his ex and twice smashed property belonging to her has been hit with a community order and a large compensation bill. Andrew Naylor, 33, from Platt Bridge, appeared before Wigan justices to admit to assaulting Nicole Williams and wrecking a television, fireplace, bookshelves and ceramic figures together worth £2,000 on December 21. A day earlier he had also smashed her £540 phone. The judge told him he must complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activities and imposed a year-long restraining order forbidding him from approaching his victim or her home. Naylor was also ordered to pay compensation to her totalling £1,540.

A conditional discharge and fine have been imposed on a man who flouted a restraining order. Thomas Cunliffe, 32, of Old Road, Ashton, pleaded guilty to the breach of an order preventing him from approaching a named woman and that he did so while the subject of a suspended sentence for another offence. However he was cleared of a further charge of threatening to post indecent photographs of his victim on the internet. When the fine was added to a victim service surcharge and a court bill he has £422 to pay.

A young man caught driving while banned and uninsured was also found in possession of drugs, a court heard. Michael Hayes, 24, of The Brambles, Ashton, appeared before Wigan justices over the disqualification and insurance breach and also to having a quantity of cannabis in a BMW1 Series on Derby Street on December 18. He was ordered to complete 40 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activities while a bill of £230 comprising a fine, costs and victim surcharge must be paid.

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A man who was attacked and his car deliberately damaged is to receive compensation from his attacker. Callum Bradshaw, 32, of Clap Gate Lane, Goose Green, appeared before Wigan justices to admit assaulting David Bradshaw by beating and criminally damaging his vehicle on February 17. The bench ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities. The compensation for the attack and damage came to £500.

A man has been given a 12-month conditional discharge for an attack and drug possession. Richard Pennington, 36, of no fixed address, appeared before borough magistrates to plead guilty to assaulting Nicola Whitworth by beating and possession of the class C substance Tramodol on January 24. He had denied another attack on the same victim 13 days earlier and that charge was dismissed after no evidence was offered. As well as the discharge, Pennington must pay £107 to victim services and the court.

A man has confessed to stalking a woman and threatening to burn her house down. Andrew Mullins, 37, of no fixed address, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to bombarding Zoe Tammadge with emails, turned up at her home and threatened arson on April 13. He was ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities and has a total of £275 to pay as a fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge. Last September Mullins was jailed for 12 weeks for breaching a restraining order that had been imposed in 2014 in order to prevent contact with another woman, Emma Jones. Justices observed at the time that he had a “flagrant disregard for court orders.”

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