COURT: 13 criminals who have been before the magistrates recently

Woman stole four vans

A WOMAN stole four vans and drove off after crashing one of them.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how Vicky Strange, aged 34, of Sandhill Close, Great Lever, stole two Mercedes drop side sprinter vans, worth £14,000, belonging to Outform Ltd in Salford on May 24.

Strange, who was banned from driving and had no insurance, then collided with another vehicle in Slack Fold Lane, Bolton and drove off.

Then, on May 31, Strange also stole a Mercedes Sprinter van and a Mercedes dropside van , together worth £20,000 from Bespoke Design Ltd in Bolton, and was caught driving the Sprinter van in the Riverside Industrial Estate at Waters Meeting Road, Bolton.

Strange pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, two of driving while banned, two of having no insurance and failing to stop after an accident.

She is due to be sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court on August 12 and, in the meantime, was electronically tagged and banned from entering Salford on a 7pm to 7am curfew.

Police found cannabis growing

A MAN caught growing cannabis plants at his home has escaped an immediate jail sentence.

When police visited Nicholas Doherty’s home in Park Road, Westhoughton, on an unrelated matter on May 25, 2017, they searched the property after being alerted by the strong smell of drugs.

Officers found a total of 33 cannabis plants growing.

Doherty, aged 33, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

At Bolton Crown Court, the Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh, sentenced him to 14 months in prison, suspended for two years and ordered that he undertake 180 hours of unpaid work.

Phone call menace fined by court

A MAN who made a series of menacing phone calls to a woman has been fined by magistrates.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how nine of the phones calls made to Jonathan Quinn’s victim on May 26 were silent.

Quinn, aged 27, of Cox Green Road, Bolton, pleaded guilty to harassment after initially denying committing the offence.

He was fined £100 and ordered to pay £118 in costs and charges.

A restraining order was also made banning him from contacting his victim.

Banned driver given tag curfew

A SHOPLIFTER who was caught driving whilst banned has been electronically tagged.

Manchester magistrates heard how 23-year-old Barbara Young, of Hall Lane Caravan Park, Moses Gate, was caught stealing £190 worth of children’s clothes from Marks and Spencer in Blackpool on March 14, 2018.

And then, three days later, she was stopped while driving a Ford Fiesta on Bury New Road, Broughton.

At the time Young was banned from driving and had no insurance.

Young pleaded guilty to theft and the motoring offences and also admitted failing to turn up to court on December 4, 2018.

She was sentenced to a 7pm to 8am curfew for 12 weeks and ordered to pay £170 in costs and charges.

Woman sold fake handbags

A WOMAN who sold fake designer handbags at markets around the country has been sentenced to do unpaid work by a court.

At Manchester Magistrates’ Court Kausar Ali, aged 52, of Armadale Road admitted a series of offences under the Trade Marks Act.

The court heard how, between May and November last year, Ali was flogging fake Louis Vuitton and Mulberry handbags and purses.

On May 11, June 1, 22 and 29 she was at Bovingdon Market in Hemel Hempstead, on May 18 and July 7 she was selling at Wellesbourne Market in Warwickshire and on November 24 she set up shop at Bescot Market in Walsall.

As well as the unpaid work, as part of her sentence, Ali was ordered to participate in 10 days of rehabilitation activities and pay costs and charges of £385.

Man jailed for order breach

A MAN who contacted a woman on July 7 in breach of a restraining order has been jailed for 28 weeks.

At Manchester Magistrates’ Court Elyas Saddique, aged 49, of Howcroft Close, Bolton, pleaded guilty to committing the offence.

Banned from the roads

A MOTORIST has been banned from the roads for 12 months after he was caught drink driving in a Toyota Yaris on Devonshire Street, Bolton, on July 29 last year.

At Manchester Magistrates’ Court Mahmood Anwar, aged 35, of Lever Edge Lane, Bolton, pleaded guilty to committing the offence and was also fined £150 plus £113 in costs and charges.

Sustained attack on a woman

A MAN has been electronically tagged after he admitted assaulting a woman, causing her actual bodily harm.

At Manchester Magistrates’ Court Martin Hatton, aged 48, of Cameron Street, Bolton, pleaded guilty to committing the offence on July 8. The court heard that it was a sustained attack, using a weapon.

Hatton was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years and placed on a 7pm to 7am curfew for two months. He must also participate in rehabilitation activities.

Denture adhesive thief jailed

A SHOPLIFTER who repeatedly targeted Little Hulton and Walkden shops has been jailed for 32 weeks by Manchester magistrates.

Warren Atkinson, aged 40, of Red Rose Gardens, Little Hulton, pleaded guilty to stealing goods including coffee, washing up liquid and dental adhesive from several shops between April 14 and July 8.

The court heard that Atkinson had shown a “flagrant disregard” for court orders and an unwillingness to comply with comply with community orders.

Thug jailed after attack on police

A THUG who assaulted a police officer has been jailed for 42 weeks by magistrates.

Wigan Magistrates’ Court heard how 32-year-old Jamie Roughsedge attacked PC Gulzar Akhtar in Bolton on July 20.

He also used threatening behaviour towards PC Akhtar and another officer. The abuse aimed at PC Akhtar was racial.

In February Roughsedge, of no fixed address, had been given an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, after he stole an iPad.

But the court heard that he had failed to obey the terms of the order.

Roughsedge pleaded guilty to committing the latest offences and magistrates decided to send him to jail as “the offence was so serious because it was a deliberate attack on a public servant carrying out public duties”.

In addition, he was ordered to pay each of the police officers £64 in compensation.

Window fitter dodges driving ban

A WINDOW fitter who was caught in charge of a car after drinking has kept his licence.

Wigan Magistrates Court heard how Daniel Nichols was found with a BMW on Plodder Lane, Farnworth, on May 9.

A breath test revealed that he had 53 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of his breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Nichols, aged 30, of Whalley Road, Ramsbottom, pleaded guilty to being in charge of a motor vehicle having drunk excess alcohol.

The penalty for the offence is 10 penalty points on a licence which, when added to other motoring offences, could result in a driver losing their licence.

But the court heard that, if banned, Nichols would lose the job he has held for 10 years as a window fitter as he travels throughout the North West, and his apprentice does not drive.

After also being told that Nichols lives alone in his home and has sole responsibility for his mortgage, no ban was imposed.

In addition to the points on his licence, Nicholas was fined £80 and ordered to pay £114 in costs and charges.

Shoplifter given tagged curfew

A HOPLIFTER who assaulted a man has been ordered to wear an electronic tag after she failed to obey a community sentence.

On December 23 last year Bolton magistrates sentenced Naomi Roberts for stealing jars of coffee from B7M on Manchester Road, Bolton and assaulting a man.

But 31-year-old Roberts has failed to keep appointments with the probation service and so, after admitting breaching the order, she has been re-sentenced by Wigan magistrates.

Roberts, of Bromwich Street, Bolton, was given a 7pm to 7am curfew for two months, which will be electronically monitored.

He was also ordered to have treatment for drug addiction for none months and must participate in 15 days of rehabilitation activities.

Boy, 16, in court over motorbike

A TEENAGER caught riding an off-road motorbike on the street has been fined £100.

The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was riding the Kawasaki Showa motorbike on Romney Road, Johnson Fold, on April 13.

At Wigan Youth Court he admitted riding the bike with no licence or insurance.

As well as the fine, he was ordered to pay £107 in costs and charges and was banned from applying for a driving licence for six months.

Police seized the bike as part of a crackdown in the town on off-road bikes being ridden in public places.

A police statement said: “If you see bikes like this being ridden on a road or public place, please contact 101 or use the live chat function on our website.