Wigan's week in court

A Wigan 38-year-old has been remanded into custody after facing domestic abuse and acquisitive offences.

Scott Smith, 37, of no fixed address appeared before Manchester magistrates charged with intentional suffocation, common assault and controlling and coercive behaviour towards his wife Shelly, the last of which is alleged to have taken place between May 18 and November 11, namely isolating her from family and friends, followed her and verbally and physically abusing her.

Smith is also charged with taking a Nissan Qashqai without the owner's consent, burglary of an address in St Elizabeth's Road, Aspull, in order to steal bank cards, theft and causing £300 damage to Ms Smith's phone, all on December 30.

He was remanded in custody until February 5 when he will appear before a Bolton Crown Court judge.

A man has admitted to interfering with cars, drug possession and attempted burglary.

Dean Boyer, 32, of Orchard Street, Wigan, stood before Manchester justices to plead guilty to possessing cocaine and amphetamine, tampering with two cars and trying to break into a metal container on December 30.

The case was adjourned until sentencing at Wigan Magistrates' Court on February 7.

A Wigan man has been accused of domestically abusing his wife for eight years.

Steven Sharrock, 49, of Lyndon Avenue, Shevington, appeared before city justices to face a single charge of controlling or coercive behaviour against his partner between December 29, 2015 and December 30, 2023.

The details of the charge allege that he accused her of cheating, demanded to know her whereabouts, checked her telephone, assaulted and verbally abused her, repeatedly criticised and threatened her financially.

He was remanded in custody pending a first appearance at Bolton Crown Court on February 5.

A young man who let up to nine pet cats starve to death has been given a suspended prison sentence by Wigan magistrates.

Thomas Webster appeared in court to admit to a single charge of failing, between February and April of last year, to provide adequate food and water for four animals resulting in their deaths.

But the hearing was told that the “prolonged neglect” had led to the deaths of up to nine animals during that period.

It was also pointed out that the RSPCA had offered advice but it had not been taken.

Prosecuted under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act, the 22-year-old of Beech Close, Skelmersdale, was given a 17-week custodial sentence although it was suspended for 24 months.

Webster was also banned from keeping animals for eight years, he must undergo mental health treatment and complete both 20 days of rehabilitation activities and 60 hours of unpaid work.

Furthermore he must pay prosecution costs totalling £1,000.

The RSPCA said it would comment on the conclusion of a case involving a co-accused.

A Wigan man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a woman by beating her.

Stuart Otter, 52, of Withington Lane, Aspull, is accused of attacking the woman on New Year's Eve.

Wigan justices sent the case to Tameside Magistrates' Court, where a trial will be held on June 12.

He was remanded on conditional bail.

The case against a woman accused of assaulting two people nearly a year ago has been dropped.

Lindsey Greenslade, 46, of Samuel Street, Atherton, had been charged with assaulting Andrew Yates and Rebecca Hindley by beating them on January 16 last year.

A trial was due to be held at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court but no evidence was offered and the case was dismissed.

A 12-month conditional discharge was imposed on a Wigan man following a public order offence.

Deon Yates, 30, of Edge Green Lane, Golborne, was sentenced for using threatening or abusive words or behaviour towards a woman in Wigan on July 12.

He must also pay £85 prosecution costs and a £26 victim surcharge.

Two further counts of the same charge, relating to separate complainants, were dismissed when no evidence was offered.

A Wigan man who denies assaulting two people by beating them will stand trial later this year.

Kieran Fox, 31, of Lowton Road, Golborne, has pleaded not guilty to attacks on Jack Flynn and Rachel Mulvaney on November 11.

A trial will be held at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court on September 12 and he was remanded on conditional bail until then.

A Wigan man must have mental health treatment after admitting failing to comply with requirements of the sex offenders' register.

David Murphy, 61, of Short Street, Pemberton, failed to register an alias on the website Tumblr.

He also pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order by failing to maintain internet browsing history for three months.

Wigan magistrates imposed a 12-month community order, with mental health treatment, 20 days of rehabilitation activities and a £120 fine.

He must also pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £114 surcharge.

A drug-driver has been handed a bill of more than £900, as well as a 12-month disqualification.

James Simpson-Goulden, 24, of Windermere Road, Leigh pleaded guilty to driving in Bolton on July 19 with Delta-9- Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is found in cannabis, in his blood.

He was banned from driving for 12 months and must pay a £600 fine, £240 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

A Wigan woman will appear in court next month accused of entering into a tenancy agreement using a false name.

Elaine Taylor, 47, of Liverpool Road, Platt Bridge, is charged with fraud by false representation, after the alleged incident in Bolton between August 17 and September 8, 2018.

She is also accused of possessing class A drug MDMA in Bolton on November 16, 2018.

The next hearing in the case will take place at Manchester City Magistrates' Court on February 7.

A Wigan 21-year-old has admitted to making hundreds of indecent images of children.

Tom Webster, of Bolton Road, Ashton, pleaded guilty on his first appearance before borough magistrates to three charges.

One was of creating 349 pictures that fell into the most serious category of abuse - A - another of making 701 category B images and 280 category C.

He was committed for sentencing at Bolton Crown Court on January 31.

A 43-year-old Wigan man has been accused of assaulting two police officers.

Carl Cunliffe, of Brown Street, Bickershaw, is charged with the assault by beating of PCs White and Wells on February 24 last year.

The case was sent by Wigan justices to be heard by a Bolton Crown Court judge on February 7.

A four-month prison sentence has been imposed on a Wigan man who was found armed with a craft knife in the street.

Ashley Heaton, 43 and already an inmate of HMP Risley, pleaded guilty to possessing the offensive weapon in Silverdale Avenue, Ince, on May 17 last year.

Borough justices sent him down, saying the circumstances were so serious that only a custodial sentence was justified, particularly given his previous record of offending.

They also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the knife.

A drug-driver has been banned from the road for 14 months.

Wigan justices heard that 39-year-old Peter Thomas, of Elm Tree Road, Lowton, tested positive for cannabis when stopped at the wheel of a BMW on Manchester Road, Leigh, on June 22 last year.

As well as the disqualification, he must pay a fine, costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £225.

A young Wigan man has been accused of making and distributing indecent images of children.

Kieran Atkinson, 20, of Belle Green Lane, Ince, stood before borough justices to face charges of creating images, 212 of which fell into the most serious category of abuse - A - plus 186 category B pictures and 208 category C between March 2014 and June 2022.

He is further accused of possessing and distributing a banned picture of a child.

Atkinson has yet to plead and was remanded on conditional bail until he makes his first appearance at Bolton Crown Court on February 7.

A Wigan man found armed with an ice pick and baseball bat while flouting a driving ban has been sent to prison.

Borough justices heard that Gary O'Shea drove a Vauxhall Astra in Horwich on January 3 this year when disqualified from the road and that recovered were two offensive weapons and a quantity of cocaine.

The 33-year-old of Rathen Avenue, Ince, pleaded guilty to possessing the weapons and class A drug along with driving while banned and while uninsured and also admitted to stealing cigarettes, food and drink from a mini-market on September 22.

He was given a custodial sentence totalling 28 weeks, the bench telling him that there had been a "wilful disregard" for complying with court orders.

The weapons and drugs were forfeited for destruction and O'Shea must also serve another 12-month road ban.

A Wigan 41-year-old has been given a community punishment for attacking another woman.

Shelley Griffin, from Elgin Close, Ince, stood before borough magistrates to plead guilty to a single charge of causing Izzy Crompton actual bodily harm on May 15 last year.

She was ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities and must pay a fine, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £299.

A motorist has admitted badly injuring a woman when he tried to shake off police by driving into the middle of a Wigan funfair.

Jordan O’Reilly appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge to plead guilty to a number of motoring offences relating to a terrifying episode in Hindley town centre last year.

It was on the evening of Saturday, October 7 that police gave chase to a silver Ford Focus driven by 21-year-old O’Reilly after he failed to stop for them in Hindley.

The pursuit was a short one because the car swerved into Cross Street, Morris Street and then onto Hindley Market land hosting a fair for families who were enjoying games and rides.

The car struck a woman and the occupants leapt out and ran off.

It was reported at the time that the vehicle then began to roll forward but one of the showmen jumped into the driver’s seat to stop it, just as it hit some trampolines.

The man suffered a minor injury and it was initially thought that the first casualty had got off lightly too, but it was later discovered that she was more seriously hurt than at first thought and needed prolonged hospital treatment, although not in a life-threatening or life changing way.

Appearing in the dock, O’Reilly pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, disqualified driving, not having insurance and perverting the course of justice.

Having spent Christmas behind bars, he was further remanded into custody pending his sentencing hearing on February 26.

The incident has been reported to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for investigation.

A Wigan man who launched two attacks is awaiting his fate after finally confessing.

Adam Bradburn had initially denied causing George Jones grievous bodily harm and assaulting PC Farrelly by beating on February 20, 2022.

But before a trial could take place this month at Bolton Crown Court, he changed his pleas. He was given a two-year custodial sentence which was suspended for 18 months.

The judge also ordered him to complete 100 hours’ unpaid work plus 15 days’ rehabilitation activities and to attend an alcohol treatment programme.

A Wigan man has been accused of sexual activity with and abduction of a Wigan schoolgirl.

Kirk Wilding, 42, of Kipling Avenue, Worsley Mesnes, appeared before Manchester City magistrates charged with engaging in sexual penetrative activity with a 14-year-old between June 4, 2023 and January 5, 2024 and an offence under the 1984 Child Abduction Act of detaining a girl under 16 to keep her from a person having lawful control between January 3 and 5.

Wilding was remanded in custody until February 12 when he will make his first appearance before a Bolton Crown Court judge.

He has yet to plead to those charges but has pleaded not guilty to a further charge of detaining the same girl on July 31 last year.

A 29-year-old has appeared before justices charged with a series of Wigan borough robberies.

Zach Porter, of Devonshire Road, Atherton, is accused of five raids plus threatening someone with a knife.

Aside from one alleged incident in mid-December, all the offences are said to have happened in the first week of January.

The first charge involves the robbery of Ali Ahmed of pants and sweets on December 15 valued at £6.25.

On January 2 it is claimed he robbed Donna Sumner and Makayla Hampson of an unknown quantity of cash at the Morrisons store on Car Bank Street, Atherton and on the same day robbed Sam Thompson of £250 from Morrisons Daily on Gadfield Grove, Atherton and threatened him with a knife.

On January 4 it is alleged he robbed Susan Owen of an unknown amount of cigarettes and cash from a newsagent's on Yew Tree Avenue, Atherton.

Finally it is claimed her robbed Carole Lomax of a quantity of cigarette packs of a value unknown from an Atherton shop on January 4.

Porter was remanded in custody until he appears before a Bolton judge on February 12.

No pleas have yet been entered.