A vehicle used as a weapon, men who held a delivery driver at gunpoint and a teenager involved in a car crash have been among the recent cases heard by Tameside Magistrates' Court.

Here's our latest round-up...

Prison threat for assault and theft

Tameside magistrates gave Arran Jones a suspended prison sentence for a catalogue of offences.

The 27-year-old, of Dukinfield Road, Dukinfield, pleaded guilty to three separate offences of stealing items of alcohol from the Co-op on Fir Tree Lane in Dukinfield last month.

He also admitted one charge of assault and two separate charges of threatening and abusive behaviour.

Magistrates found the abuse to be racially aggravated and sentenced him to 12 weeks behind bars, suspended for 12 months.

He must carry out 80 hours unpaid work plus pay a total of £191 compensation.

Used vehicle ‘as a weapon’

Ashton man Paul Wilkinson stole a car and ‘used it as a weapon’, Tameside magistrates heard.

The 34-year-old, of Whitworth Close, pleaded guilty to charges of stealing the car, assault and stealing a mobile phone. He initially denied the offences but later changed his plea to guilty.

The court heard the three offences all related to the same incident on October 10 last year in Manchester.

Magistrates jailed him for eight weeks and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £128.

Headphones taken from store

Frank Allen admitted charges of stealing headphones worth £20 from B&M Bargains in Ashton on March 3 last year, plus being equipped for theft on the same date.

Tameside magistrates were told he was found in possession of bolt cutters.

The 30-year-old admitted both offences and was given a 12 month conditional discharge.

He was also ordered to pay £100 court costs and a £21 victim surcharge.

His address was given as Bloomfield Road, Blackpool.

Found guilty

Stephen Halliwell denied a charge of assaulting an individual on December 12 last year.

However, the 32-year-old, of Hurst Grove, Ashton, was found guilty by Tameside magistrates and ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work for the offence.

He was also issued with a restraining order meaning he must have no contact with the complainant.

Magistrates further ordered him to pay £100 compensation, plus £620 court costs and a victim surcharge of £95.

Banned from the road for four years

Tameside magistrates have given Stephen Caine a suspended jail sentence.

The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to provide a specimen or specimens of breath in Ashton, having been suspected of having committed a driving offence.

He admitted the offence on July 16. Magistrates handed him a 12 weeks jail term, suspended for 12 weeks and banned him from the road for four years.

He must pay £85 court costs and a victim surcharge of £128.

The driving disqualification can be reduced by one whole year, but only if a driving course is successfully completed.

His address was given as Newhouse Road, Rochdale.

Suspended jail term for crimes

Lewis Norris narrowly escaped going to jail for a catalogue of offences in Hyde and Glossop.

Stockport magistrates heard the 21-year-old caused damage to two cars and two police vehicles plus other property, as well as assaulting an individual in Hadfield.

All of the incidents happened on May 12 last year.

He pleaded guilty to all of the offences and was given an 18 weeks prison term, suspended for 12 months.

Magistrates also issued him with a curfew order, meaning he must remain at his address between 8pm and 7am each night for the duration of 12 weeks.

He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation, a £128 victim surcharge and £250 court costs.

His address was given as Newport Road, Stafford.

Banned, fined for drink drive charge

David Hanley was disqualified from driving for 17 months by Tameside magistrates.

The 45-year-old, of Werneth Low Road, Hyde, pleaded guilty to a charge of drink driving.

Magistrates heard he was stopped on Stockport Road, Ashton, on July 17 this year and found to have 61 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

He was fined £460 plus ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £46 victim surcharge.

The driving disqualification can be reduced by 17 weeks if a driving course is successfully completed.

More than twice over legal limit

Susan Adams was more than two times over the drink drive limit when stopped on Langdale Drive in Mottram on July 18, Tameside magistrates heard.

The 59-year-old, of Werneth Hollow, Woodley, pleaded guilty to the offence after being found to have 82 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

She was banned from the road for 20 months although the disqualification can be reduced by 20 weeks if a driving course is completed.

She was fined £200, plus ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

Assault on police officer

Tameside magistrates ordered Jacob Dodd to carry out 210 hours unpaid work.

The court heard the 21-year-old, of Waddicor Avenue, Ashton, assaulted a police constable and was threatening and abusive.

The charges related to an incident on February 5 this year.

He admitted both offences and was ordered to pay a total of £500 compensation.

Discovered with drugs

Paul Powell, 56, of Tatton Street, Stalybridge, was given a 12 months conditional discharge by Tameside magistrates.

He pleaded guilty to being in possession of a quantity of amphetamine on July 15 this year in the town.

Magistrates ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £22. They instructed the snap bag of amphetamine by forfeited and destroyed.

Pay back time for breaking into cricket club

Joseph Bevan pleaded guilty to breaking into Stalybridge Cricket Club in July this year with intent to steal.

Tameside magistrates heard the offence happened on July 5 and handed the 23-year-old a 12 weeks jail term, suspended for 12 months.

They also instructed him to carry out 100 hours unpaid work. Magistrates ordered him to pay £2,660 compensation, plus £85 court costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

His address was given as Rush Street, Dukinfield.

Motorist found to be over the legal drug drive limit

Matthew Whaling was over the drug drive limit when stopped on Manchester Road in Ashton on February 11 this year.

He pleaded guilty to the offence and was banned from driving for 12 months by Tameside magistrates.

The 26-year-old was also fined £120 and must also pay £85 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

His address was given as Sundew Close, Heywood.

Hefty fine for threatening, racially abusive behaviour

Tameside magistrates slapped Errol Wint with a £1,320 fine.

The 62-year-old was found guilty of being racially threatening and abusive in Stalybridge in March this year.

Magistrates also ordered him to pay £150 court costs and a victim surcharge of £132.

His address was given as Bankfield Road, Huddersfield.

Court finds man guilty of assault

A man from New Mills has been given a suspended jail sentence by Tameside magistrates for assault.

Mark Stanway denied the charge relating to an incident in New Mills on May 11 last year.

However, he was found guilty of the offence and given a 12 weeks prison term, suspended for 12 months.

Magistrates issued him with a 13 weeks curfew order, meaning he must remain at his Ollersett Avenue address between the hours of 7pm and 6am for the duration of the order.

He was also ordered to pay £250 compensation.

£1,760 fines for Covid breaches

Tameside Magistrates have fined scores of residents across the Greater Manchester region for breaching Covid regulations - including a number from the borough.

The offences occurred when Greater Manchester was placed in Tier 4 regulations back in January this year.

Fines of £1,760 were handed out, bumped up to £2026 in each case by associated court costs.

None of those issued with fines appeared before the court but had all gathered at addresses where more than the permitted two people were allowed to mix.

Sixteen-year-old crashed car

A 16-year-old who crashed a car into two parked vehicles has been referred to the Tameside Youth Offender Panel for four months.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted charges of failing to stop when directed to do so by police, driving without insurance, damaging the other vehicles and driving without a licence.

Magistrates ordered compensation of £340 be paid.

Letter of the law

Thomas Morris, 21, of Catherine Street, Ashton, damaged a letter box at an address in the town on August 19, Tameside magistrates heard.

He admitted the offence and was issued with a restraining order, meaning he must have no contact with an individual.

He was fined £100 and ordered to pay a £95 victim surcharge.

Held at gunpoint

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of robbery after a delivery driver was held at gunpoint.

Greater Manchester Police were called at around 8.30pm on Wednesday last week to a report of an armed robbery of a delivery vehicle on Wall Way in the Debdale area.

The delivery driver is believed to have been held at gunpoint after being approached by two men and was pulled out of his vehicle. Fortunately he did not sustain any injuries.

GMP say two men, aged 24 and 19, were later arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Detective Sergeant Helen Fletcher, of GMP’s Operation Valiant, said: “This was some excellent work by our response officers and firearms officers that led to the swift arrest of two men and the recovery of the stolen property.

“I hope this arrest serves as some reassurance to the community that we are committed to tackling this sort of criminal activity in their area.

“Our investigation does remain ongoing and I would encourage anyone who may have any information or dash-cam footage to please contact the police on 101 quoting incident 3015 of 25/08/21.

“Details can also be passed via our online LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk or via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Motoring ban

Denton driver Mark Hall has been banned from the road for 12 months by Stockport magistrates for an offence of drug driving.

The 57-year-old, of Rutland Avenue, pleaded guilty to the charge after being stopped on Ashton Road in Stockport on February 12 this year.

He also admitted having no insurance cover at the time.

Magistrates fined him £230 and ordered him to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £34.

Unpaid work order

Tameside magistrates have ordered Michael Thompson to carry out 60 hours unpaid work for being threatening and abusive.

The 55-year-old, of Gibraltar Lane, Denton, admitted the offence relating to an incident on June 10 in Levenshulme.

Magistrates ordered him to pay £100 compensation, plus pay £85 court costs and a £95 victim surcharge.

Over the limit

Motorist Daniel Turner was over the drink drive limit when stopped in Dukinfield, Tameside magistrates were told.

The 35-year-old was stopped in King Street on July 17 and found to have 40 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

He admitted the offence and was banned from the road for 12 months plus fined £250.

He must also pay £85 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

The disqualification can be reduced by three months if a drink driving course is successfully completed.

His address was given as Middleton Road, Stockport.

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