Wigan's week in court

The trial of a Wigan woman who denies wielding a machete and attacking a man has been delayed for another nine months.

Christiana James, 45, of Winstanley Road, Billinge, has previously appeared before Wigan and Leigh justices to deny charges of having the bladed weapon in a public place and assaulting Ian Chew by beating on December 2, 2021 on Imperial Drive, Leigh.

Her trial had been fixed for February, was then rescheduled for August and will now, due to continuing court backlogs, only take place on September 10 next year.

James is on bail until then although a condition of her release is that she does not have contact with Mr Chew and two named relatives of his, nor to enter Imperial Drive.

A Wigan woman who denies fly-tipping will be tried next summer.

Jayne Guest, 51, of Medlock Way, Platt Bridge, appeared before borough justices to face a single charge under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act that she dumped four bin bags of general household waste on a footpath on Algernon Street, Hindley, on February 3, 2020 when she was not covered by a waste management licence.

At her court hearing she entered a not guilty plea and a trial date of August 1, 2024 was set.

A 25-year-old who admitted driving a car that wasn't his while three and a half times over the alcohol limit has been banned from the road for 30 months.

Callum Mawdsley, of Chesterton Close, Worsley Mesnes, appeared before borough justices to plead guilty to taking a silver Ford Focus on September 1 without the owner's consent and, when stopped by police on Ascroft Avenue, Beech Hill, gave a reading of 126 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

He also drove the car without either a licence or insurance.

As well as the road ban, Mawdsley must complete a six-month alcohol treatment programme, 12 months of mental health treatment and 10 days of rehabilitation activities.

There is also £319 to pay to the court, victim services and as a fine.

A bullying possessive boyfriend repeatedly treated his partner so badly that she wanted to die.

Cole McKenzie’s victim said, “He made me feel scared, trapped and down about my body.

He made me feel like nothing, just someone’s punch bag and I didn’t want to be alive.” A court heard that during their turbulent relationship McKenzie twice tried to push her down the stairs at his home and repeatedly punched and kicked her.

He also sometimes took her phone so she could not ring for help and while she slept deleted friends from her social media, said Joanne Maxwell, prosecuting.

The 19-year-old defendant from Brown Street, Tyldesley, pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour and three offences of assault by beating were left to lie on the file.

Miss Maxwell told Liverpool Crown Court that the defendant had been in a relationship with the 17-year-old victim, from Glazebury, Warrington, since January last year and while it was initially good after three months he began losing his temper and becoming violent.

“He would hit her, kick her, punch her to the stomach and attempt to push her downstairs on two occasions while telling her that she deserved it.

He would shout at her saying he wished she was not alive or born.”

On occasion he made her leave late at night when she had nowhere to go and would confiscate her mobile phone so she could not call for help.

“He told her she was never going to leave him or if she did he would come after her,” said Miss Maxwell.

McKenzie would go through her social media on her phone, often while she was asleep, and delete friends he did not like.

If she was out he would demand she return and threatened he would otherwise go to her home and be violent to her mum and siblings.

Miss Maxwell said that on August 28, after an argument while he was on his games console, he kicked her on the leg and then punched her in the same place several times.

The next day he again lost his temper while on his console and punched her in the eye.

He pinned her down and punched her arms.

She needed to wear make up to hide her black eye for a fortnight.

“He pulled her by the arms to the top of the stairs and tried to push her down but she was able to grab hold of he bannisters and sat down.”

McKenzie walked her to the front door and threw her out, she said. On September 22 he grabbed her and punched her on the arms after again losing his temper.

When arrested and interviewed McKenzie, who has no previous convictions, made no comment.

Olivia Beesley, defending, said that he struggles with immaturity and is to be assessed for ADHD.

He lost his brother-in-law, who had been a father figure to him, in April last year and his mother, with whom he lives, is in poor health.

He hopes to return to college next September to take a joinery course. McKenzie apologies for his behaviour and wished his former partner well.

Judge Charlotte Crangle said that he had been “aggressive, abusive and bullying” towards his former girlfriend.

“This has caused significant damage to her self-confidence.

“She felt scared, felt like she was your punch bag and at one point did not want to go to college.

" You would use violence towards her when your temper got the better of you.

“You have considerable work to do in terms of how you behave.

"A girlfriend is not a possession.”

She said that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months with attendance on a ‘building better relationships’ course.

The judge also ordered him to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work and 15 days’ rehabilitation activities.

A three-year restraining order to keep away from the victim was also imposed.