Wigan's week in court

A greedy young Wigan man who stole £50,000 of his vulnerable dad’s inheritance cash has been spared an immediate spell in jail.

A court heard that Cory Barrett was his father Keith’s full-time carer and that this meant he had permission to use his bank card to do the shopping and pay the bills.

But prosecutors said that the now 21-year-old abused the trust that had been placed in him and, over several months, salted away thousands for himself on the side.

The Bolton Crown Court hearing was told that Mr Barrett Snr had come into some money through a legacy in February 2020 and that it was between April and December of that year that Barrett Jnr, of Inward Drive, Shevington, made the extra, criminal withdrawals for himself.

It was at the end of 2020 that Keith Barrett realised that a lot of money had disappeared from his bank account and he contacted the authorities.

A police investigation was launched and in March 2021, Corey Barrett was arrested and made admissions.

Appearing before magistrates, he pleaded guilty to “dishonestly intending to make a gain for himself by making a representation to the bank which he knew was untrue or misleading, namely that he was entitled to withdraw funds from his father’s bank account to the value of £50,000.”

He had been sent to a higher court for sentencing and the judge gave him an 18-month jail sentence but suspended it for two years.

He must complete a Thinking Skills course and 30 days of rehabilitation activities as part of a community punishment.

A teenaged Wigan sex offender who tried contacting a 14-yearold schoolgirl for sexual purposes has re-appeared in court to admit making further contact with an under-aged girl.

One of the terms of 19-year-old Connor Lammiman's sentence last year was that he did not have contact with under-16s.

But borough magistrates heard that the teen from Lower Longshoot, Scholes, was in the company of a minor between March 28 and April 4 and thus in breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

After pleading guilty he was told that he would be sentenced by a Bolton Crown Court judge on May 2.

A woman who stole cash and two bank cards worth £200 then caused £500 to the interior of her victim's car in Wigan has been sent to prison for four weeks.

Gemma Fletcher, 33, of Linnet Drive, Leigh, appeared before borough magistrates to admit to criminal damage and theft from Stephen Woods on April 2. As well as 28 days' custody, she must also pay £128 to victim services.

A Wigan motorist who admitted to appalling driving has been given a suspended prison sentence. Peter Ridehalgh, 50, of Gantley Avenue, Billinge, had stood before borough magistrates to plead guilty to dangerously driving a Volkswagen Polo on February 10 in Moor Road, Orrell.

A second charge of failing to stop for a police officer on the same date was withdrawn. He was sent to Bolton Crown Court for sentencing where a judge gave him a 34-week custodial term although it was suspended for two years.

Ridehalgh is also banned from the road for three years, must carry out 140 hours of unpaid work and complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities.

A Wigan man is awaiting his fate after admitting to having a pen disguised as a gun plus live ammunition.

On his first appearance before a Bolton Crown judge, 31-year-old Craig Walker, of HMP Whatton, pleaded guilty to having the disguised weapon in Golborne without a firearms certificate or permission from the secretary of state in Golborne on September 27 plus 27 .22 cartridges, also without a certificate.

He will be sentenced on May 9.

A young Wigan man has finally pleaded to trying to launch a very serious attack on the eve of his trial.

Kieran Barrington, 22, of Forest Avenue, Beech Hill, had been due to appear before a jury after denying knife possession and attempting the unlawful and malicious wounding of Stephen Argent on November 5 last year.

But he changed his pleas and will be sentenced by the same judge at Bolton Crown Court on April 25. He is remanded in custody until then.

A Wigan man who finally confessed to benefit fraud has been spared an immediate prison term.

John Barnett, 62, of Legh Street, Ashton, had stood before a Bolton judge to deny failing to notify the authorities of a change of circumstances that affected entitlement to a council tax cut from Wigan Council and DWP employment and support allowance, the latter from May 2015 to December 2019, the former from September 2018 to March 2019.

A trial date was set but he later changed his pleas and has been given a 27-week custodial sentence although it has been suspended for 12 months.

He was also put under a three month curfew and a Proceeds of Crime hearing will be held on July 29 to determine how much, if any, of his ill-gotten gains can be recovered.

A motorist has been banned from the road for four years after admitting he was caught drink-driving while banned from the road.

Aidas Jarusevicius, 54, of Upper Dicconson Street, Swinley, appeared before Wigan magistrates to plead guilty to being at the wheel of a Volvo S40 near his home on February 5 while disqualified from driving and so uninsured.

He also admitted to giving a reading of 73 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the legal limit is 35.

As well as the 48-month ban, he was made the subject of a community order which includes an alcohol abstinence component, 15 days of rehabilitation activities and a 16- week 7pm to 7am electronically tagged curfew. Jarusevicius must also pay £180 to the courts and victim services.

A man who launched an assault must pay his victim compensation. Steven Jukes, 54, of Woolton Close, Ashton, stood before Wigan justices to admit to causing Garry Roberts actual bodily harm on January 21 last year.

He must carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and the amount he must pay, when court costs and a victim services surcharge are added to the compensation is £280.

A sex offender has been given a community punishment after failing to stick to the rules of his punishment.

Gareth Jones, 46, of Millgate, Wigan, stood before justices to admit a breach of the 2003 Sexual Offences Act by not completing his annual notifications on time.

He was ordered to complete 40 days of unpaid work and pay £180 to the court and victim services.

A man has been accused of stealing money and threatening to put through the windows of a Wigan takeaway. Hassan Omomi, 49, of Clifton Street, Wigan, is charged with taking £280 from Azad Malik and threatening criminal damage to the Chunky Chick-Inn on Wigan Lane, on February 28.

The case was adjourned until April 27 when an interpreter will be required for further proceedings.

A teenager has been accused of committing two armed robberies in Wigan.

Sean Darbyshire, 18, and currently of HMP Forest Bank, appeared before Wigan justices charged with robbing Angeli Tank of car keys and possessing a folding pocket knife on Heritage Way, on July 8 2020, and robbing Gabriella Pavlickova of a mobile phone and having a knife at Westwood Park eight days later.

Because of the seriousness of the offences, they were sent to Bolton Crown Court where Darbyshire will appear before a judge on May 10.

A warrant has been issued for a Wigan pensioner accused of molesting a woman. Thomas Aspey, 75, of Kitt Green Road, Kitt Green, was due to appear before borough justices charged with intentionally sexually touching an over-16 without consent, but failed to appear.

Dale Dennett, 27, of Birkett Street, Wigan, has been bound over by magistrates in the sum of £100 for 12 months after admitting to a breach of the peace in the town on March 20.

A Wigan man has been given a 12-month conditional discharge after admitting to attacking two emergency workers.

Neil Eddison, 41, of Lincoln Road, Hindley, appeared before borough justices to admit to assaulting support worker Ian Yates and nursing assistant James Edward in Leigh on March 18. He must also pay a £22 victim services surcharge.

A serial Wigan thief has been locked up for almost half a year.

Bobby Lee Garry, 28, of Helvellyn Road, Pemberton, appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to no fewer than 10 shoplifting offences from local stores during February and March.

Among the items taken were toiletries, meat, Amazon products, batteries, a razor, headphones, candles, hairdryers and sweets worth hundreds of pounds from Boots, Asda, Lidl, GeeTee's, Tesco and Bradshaw Medical Centre in Orrell.

He further admitted to breaching bail, criminal damage to the window of Crafty Melts and sleeping in the outhouse of a home in Helvellyn Road in contravention of a restraining order.

Garry was sent to prison for a total of 24 weeks, saying he was receiving such a sentence because of his prolific thieving and his breach of a community punishment.

He was also ordered to pay £128 to victim services.

A man has been accused of attacking two police officers and breaking a pair of handcuffs.

Alasam Sow, 32, of Woodhouse Lane, Beech Hill, is charged with assaulting PCs Hodson and Dawson during the course of their duties plus criminal damage, all on March 16. Wigan justices adjourned the case until April 7. Sow has yet to enter pleas.

A woman has received a community punishment after admitting to theft and fraud.

Kelly Brindle, 36, of Worthington Street, Hindley, had stood in the dock at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court to admit using a stolen bank card belonging to James Hunter in order to make a purchase and so expose the owner to risk of loss on June 27 last year.

She pleaded not guilty to an identical charge involving the same complainant but relating to another incident the same day and this was dismissed.

She also admitted to stealing a wallet, its contents and sunglasses belonging to Mr Hunter on June 26 or 27.

All the offences took place in Bolton. Returning for sentencing, she further admitted to using a stolen bank card in an attempt to commit fraud at Asda on September 15 and at Monks Convenience store on both September 8 and 15.

Her punishment includes completing 120 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation activities while she must also stump up compensation, court costs and a victim services surcharge totalling £259.

A young Wigan man has been remanded in custody pending sentence after admitting to a "flashing" offence.

Ryan Farnworth, 21, of Broadway, Hindley, appeared before Wigan justices to admit to exposing himself on March 26 with the intention of causing alarm or distress.

He will learn his fate at the same court on April 21, before which he is behind bars while a presentence report is prepared.

A Wigan man has finally admitted to assaulting a police officer. Peter Hill, 40, of Jasmine Road, Pemberton, had initially denied attacking PC Gerrard on April 11 2021.

But before his trial could begin, he changed his plea to guilty. Wigan and Leigh magistrates adjourned the hearing so that pre-sentence reports can be prepared.

Hill was released on unconditional bail until he learns his fate on April 26.

A notorious shoplifter has been given an 18-month conditional discharge for his latest thieving.

Kelvin Sharratt hit the headlines last year after he was fished out of the River Douglas while trying, unsuccessfully, to evade police after a series of shopliftings at Robin Park. Having served his punishment for those offences, the 27-yearold, of no fixed address, has now admitted to stealing £100 worth of chocolates from Platt Bridge's One Stop Shop on two visits on April 1 and 4. He was ordered to pay £50 in compensation.

A community order has been imposed on a man who breached a court ruling that he steer clear of a named woman and her home.

Daniel O'Donnell, 29, of Frog Lane, Wigan, appeared before Wigan justices to admit harassing Georgina Sharrock on November 18 by getting into the back garden of her home in Scot Lane and that this breached the conditions of his bail because he was forbidden from going within 100m of her address.

The hearing was told that he also texted and rang her on his mobile. His punishment includes an alcohol treatment programme, 27 days of rehabilitation activities and completing 80 hours of unpaid work. O'Donnell must also pay £180 to victim services and the court.

A woman has pleaded not guilty to two public order charges against her. Caroline Hayes, 42, of Almond Grove, Worsley Hall, stood before Wigan justices to deny using threatening, distressing or abusive behaviour against Ann Sharpe on May 11 last year and another of disorderly and threatening behaviour the following day.

The case was adjourned until July 12 before which Hayes is on conditional bail.