CHRISTMAS BABIES
Identical twins Jeanette Pagett and Cathy Kenny both gave birth this week-one on Christmas Eve and one on Christmas Day!
Jeanette had little Alex early on Christmas Eve, while her twin sister Cathy gave birth to Emma Louise on Christmas morning.
The 32-year-old siblings, both of Worsley Mesnes were expecting their newborns 4 days apart.
And Jeanette said she was surprised to see a familiar face on the maternity ward!
She said, "I could not believe it. I was up on M1 ward and someone told me my sister had come in as well. I suppose it is a little strange that we have both had our babies so close together."
Jeanette added that her partner, Dave Bond was absolutely 'made up' with son Alex, who weighed 7lbs 2ozs.
Cathy said she was delighted at becoming an aunt just a day before having Emma Louise, who weighed 5lbs 3ozs.
She said, "Both me and my husband Eugene are chuffed to bits. It was brilliant becoming an aunt just a day before I had my own baby."
Wigan was also home to the first Christmas Day baby in the North West.....And the little girl will be known as Holly Carroll.
Accountant Cheryl Hilton-Carroll, 31, of Ashton gave birth to little Holly at 1am on Monday morning. The newborn who was expected on December 18th weighed in at a healthy 6lb 15ozs. Cheryl said, "We are delighted with Holly. We decided beforehand that we were going to call her Holly, it is just a coincidence that it fell on Christmas Day."
A number of other proud parents had double cause for celebration on Christams Day.
Linda Winstanley, 20 of Platt Bridge, had son Dylan weighing 6lbs 13ozs at 3.15pm
And Anna Dykins had the last Christmas Day baby when she gave birth to Naomi Jane, weighing 7lbs 12 ozs at 11pm.
COUPLE JAILED FOR LIFE FOR BRUTAL MURDER
These are the two killers who have been jailed for life for the murder of a Wigan woman.
Lynn Dowling was beaten unconscious before being dragged into an alleyway
where she was kicked and stamped on.
The 25 year-old from Ramsden Close Worsley Mesnes, was left with 57 different injuries and was so badly disfigured she could only be identified by a tatoo and fingerprints.
At Manchester Crown Court 38 year-old
Julie Gallagher and her boyfriend Terence Ollerton, 32, were both convicted of murder on what Judge Simon Fawcus described as 'overwhelming' evidence.
The couple showed no emotion as he added, "It was a brutal, senseless and almost motiveless killing
of a young woman whose only failing was that she was as drunk as you were that evening."
Miss Dowling's battered body was found in a pool of blood in the alleyway near a house where she had been living in Upper Dicconson Street, Swinley,one night last
March.
Prosecuting, Mr Clement Goldstone QC said, she was killed because she wanted a relationship with Ollerton which was 'resisted by him and resented by Gallagher'.
Both defendants, their anger fuelled by drink, had also been living in the house
and were seen laughing and joking after beating her unconscious.
They then took her into the alleyway where she was savagely 'kicked like a football' and Ollerton was heard shouting 'die you bitch' as he jumped on her head.
When her body was found
she was rushed to hospital but died four hours later from horrific injuries.
Gallagher and Ollerton were sentenced together, the judge giving them mandatory life sentences.
DAD DIES IN TRAGIC ELECTRIC SHOCK ACCIDENT
The wife of a Wigan man electrocuted when he was warming up his baby son's breakfast in the microwave, has spoken to the Wigan Observer of her grief.
Diane Green tried desperately to resuscitate husband Mark after the accident. Paramedicsalso tried to revive him but the 30 year-old dad of two died before reaching hospital.
His 11 month-old son, Joe, and step-daughter, Ashley, five, watched as their daddy lay in pain and then died on the kitchen floor.
Diane, 28, of Hodges Street, Wigan said, "Everything happened so quickly. The microwave had been on the blink for the past few weeks and was working on and off. Mark was warming up Joe's breakfast on Sunday when he decided to take a look at the back of the microwave because it wasn't workig properly. He had a look and said it was out of his league.
"Then I don't know if he unplugged it or not but I just heard him groaning and as I turned around he was shaking. Before I knew it he was on the floor and the microwave crashed on the floor as well. I tried to grab him and got some sort of electric shock myself. I rang for an ambulance and they told me what to do but it wasn't enough. I couldn't revive him."
STUDY TO LOOK AT FUTURE OF MESNES PARK
The future of one of Wigan's best known parks and it's historic buildings is in the balance.
Councillors are set to commision a feasibility study into thre future of Mesnes Park and the possible re-use of the Victorian Lodge house(pictured) on the corner of Mesnes Park Terrace.
Under one option, the Victorian lodge, once a beautiful building which has now fallen into disrepair could be partially demolished.
Leisure Director Rodney Hill confirmed that the study will look at the feasibility of public or private development and even 'radical alternatives' such as the demolition of the lodge. It's deteriorating condition has been a subject of controversy amongst townspeople for many years.
But the historic pavilion cafe will face no such indignity as the Park's restoration management group confirm in their interim report that itr should remain as a cafe.
The 'historic landscape survey' commissioned by councillors in March remains anxious to protect the adjoining Mesnes Field. In their stage 1 interim report they say that the open space forms a 'critical link' with the town centre and any development of the park should include the field.
Consultants Landscape Design Associates have now recommended that the Metro apply to the Heritage Lottery Urban Parks programme for a grant to fund the restoration of Mesnes Park.
A spokesman commented, "Although local people may lament it's decline, the park is in considerably better condition than many other urban parks of the period. It's designed layout has not undergone damaging alteration and the original buildings have been retained.
"The central location of Mesnes Park, the number of users and the market for increased use means that careful investment is likely to have an impact on the quality of life for a large number of people, many from deprived areas.
"From a heritage and restoration viewpoint, these factors are very much in it's favour and therefore investment can represent good value for money."
They add that the Lottery would look favourably on the fact that Wiganers have shown their concern, care and indeed action to preserve the park over a long period.
This is demonstrated by the Wigan Civic Trust's restoration of the bandstand in the 1980s to the Friends of Mesnes Park's active involvement in it's future today. The interim report adds, "The role undertaken by a strong 'Friends' group who have carried out a great deal of work valued by local people and in support of the application has been instrumental in raising the profile and awareness of the park."
THE POSTMAN DETECTIVE
Alan, who is based at Hallgate sorting office managed to deliver seasonal greetings to businessman
Scott Adams and his partner Carolyn Wagstaff- even though there was no address or surname on the envelope.
He identified them because they were the only people he knew with a pair of pet donkeys.
Scott, owner of Nutrisport, Carolyn and their 13 month-old toddler,
George met another family last month while on holiday in Barbados.
This week a Christmas card popped through the letterbox at their delightfully named Boggart House Farm in High Moor- despite being a prime candidate for 'return to sender'.
Their holiday chums
who they only know as Kevin and Rosemary, obviously mislaid the proper address but remembered that Scott and Carolyn lived near the M6 motorway with their two pet donkeys Don and Dougal, so they simply wrote on the envelope; "To Scott, Carrie and George. Junction 27 of the M6,
small farm with two donkeys."
Thankfully, postman Almond wasn't going to let a minor detail like lack of a house, street, village or even a surname-never mind postcode- stop Her Majesty's mail getting through.
And after remembering seeing the donkeys on his regular delivery
'walk' around the village, he pieced together where the season's greetings were bound.
A delighted Carolyn said, "Our postman Alan is one in a million and he must be a bit of a detective on the quiet to have delivered this Christmas card. It was a great piece of investigation,
particularly as there was no surname on the envelope. The donkeys are Scott's pets and I never thought about it before but I suppose postmen will have seen them as they deliver letters to us.
"It's a good job we have got such a distinctive pair of pets because otherwise he may not
have been able to place us- if we had a pair of goldfish hidden away inside the house the card never would have found us."
A spokesperson for the Royal Mail praised the initiative of postman Alan who has delivered letters on the walk for the past 12 years.
Alan added, "I know
most of the people on the walk by their first names but the two donkeys on the address were the decider!"
DRUNKEN DAD FELL ASLEEP AS DAUGHTER DIED
A drunken father who took a bath with his baby daughter and fell asleep has been jailed for two and a half years.
Trevor Kinch was found guilty of unlawfully killing 10 month-old Pagan Kinch after he found her lying motionless in the water beside him.
Kinch, 30, of Banner Street Ince, was said by friends and family to be a kind, caring father, but was found guilty of manslaughter at Manchester Crown Court.
Jailing him, the judge Mr Justice Henriques told him, "You were convicted on the most overwhelming evidence. The basis of your conviction is plain. You drank half to three quarters of a bottle of whisky over two hours. You took your daughter into your bath and you fell asleep causing her to drown.
"Caring for a defenceless child is a massive responsibility. Courts have a duty to ensure that those who abuse that responsibility are punished.
"I take into account that Pagan was well cared for, that you have had a massive loss and were of good character. Against those matters this was gross negligence and this is the least sentence I can pass."
The jury heard Kinch had been looking after the baby while his wife was at work. He called an ambulance to their home one night in October(See report) last year when he saw the child had stopped breathing.
In hospital the baby was found to be dead and Kinch later told police, "I feel so guilty."
A blood sample taken some hours after the incident showed Kinch had an alcohol level of nearly twice the drink-drive limit.
Prosecutor Mrs Beverley Lunt said Kinch had admitted drinking whisky and lager before having a bath.
She said, "It is the Crown's case he put his child's life at risk when under the influence of alcohol, acting in total disregard for her welfare. Drinking the amount he clearly did, he must have realised the risk to her health. Her death was inextricably linked to his recklessness."
Kinch told the jury he felt unaffected by the alcohol. He said he fell asleep unwittingly, through a combination of fatigue, drink and being in a warm bath.
The jury deliberated for two and a half hours before convicting him of manslaughter- a charge which he denied.
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