Bolton: Teen boy among attackers in High Street car part row

The row erupted on High Street, Great Lever on Thursday, September 28 this year after 28-year-old Bradley Kay “fobbed off” a woman who had bought a faulty gearbox from him.

But Bolton Crown Court heard how matters escalated when Kay and a teenage boy responded to requests for the money by attacking the woman’s son, prompting a “brief scuffle".

Prosecutor Gurdit Singh said: “At which point Bradley Kay got back into the van and said ‘watch what’s going to happen.’”

At least six people later returned to High Street including Kay, the teenage boy, 41-year-old Leah Whittle and 37-year-old William Whittle.

The case was heard at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

They then launched a vicious attack against the mother and son at a business property on High Street, during which time the teenage boy stabbed his female victim three times in the back.

He stabbed his male victim eight times in the back.

Both survived but Mr Singh showed the court horrific photographs of the injuries the boy had caused.

Police were called to High Street in Great Lever (Image: Newsquest)

As they were leaving Leah Whittle turned and said “this place is going to get burned down".

But four of the six people were arrested and charged on the same day the violent scenes erupted.

Kay, of Trafford Road in Farnworth, eventually pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon and to violent disorder.

Leah Whittle admitted to violent disorder, while William Whittle, of Fellbridge Close, also in Westhoughton, pleaded guilty to the same offence.

The teenage boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife and two counts of wounding with intent.

All four appeared before the court via video link from prison.

Patrick Buckley, defending Leah Whittle, told the court that she was normally an “industrious woman” with a “very different side to her".

He said that could drawn on many favourable references and that the attack was “an isolated event.”

Jane Miller, defending Kay, said that he had shown real remorse since the incident and had earned credit for his guilty plea.

She said that his violent actions “will never be repeated again".

Holly Nelson, defending William Whittle, argued that he too deserved credit for his guilty plea and pointed out that he did not have or use a weapon during the violence.

She added that he too could draw on positive character references.

David James, defending the teenage boy, argued that he was unlikely ever to commit such acts again and asked that he not be criminalised at such a young age.

Judge Nicholas Clarke KC accepted all those points but pointed again to the viciousness of the attack that day in September.

He said: “All of this blew up around repayment of a relatively trivial amount for a defective car part.”

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Judge Clarke sentenced Leah Whittle to 15 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and a four-month curfew between 7.30pm and 5.30am.

He also ordered her to pay £500 in compensation with £500 worth of costs and to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Turning to Kay, Judge Clarke jailed him for two years.

He then sentenced William Whittle to 15 months in prison, suspended for 18 months and curfewed him for three months between 8pm and 7am.

He also ordered him to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Moving on finally to the teenage boy, Judge Clarke said that he did not want to treat him like an adult criminal.

But he reminded the boy that “any one of those blows, could had been fatal.”

Judge Clarke said: “That shows, I’m sorry to say, quite a degree of calculated menace.”

He sentenced the boy to a two-year detention and training order.

UPDATE: Greater Manchester Police have clarified that the image of William Whittle was initially incorrectly identified as Bradley Kay. This was due to an error at the point of arrest. The correct captions have now been applied.