3.6.2000 News from Wigan

News Report Archive 3rd June 2000

EX WIFE'S "SICK" BOAST

A woman found guilty of stalking her ex husband and his girlfriend bought a car registration plate which reads; "No. 1 Stalker".
Anne Murray has had the words printed under the registration number after years of harassing James Murray and Karen Grundy.
In Febraury last year, Anne, 34, of Jubilee Crescent Haydock, was found guilty at Wigan Magistrate's court of stalking the couple. But James and Karen said they are sickened at her latest stunt.
James who lives in Wigan said, "I could not believe it when I heard abouth the number plate. I thought someone was winding me up, then I saw it for myself. I am disgusted by what she has done."
Karen, a psychiatric nurse at Billinge hospital said, "There is no sense behind what she's done. It just seems she's done it to goad us."
After pleading not guilty to the charge Murray was given a 24-month conditional discharge and Ł120 costs. A restraining order warned her not to contact James, his parents, or Karen. But James and Karen claim the harassment has continued and the police have been notified once again.
The problems started when James and Anne divorced four years ago after a 15-year relationship when she started seeing another man. James, a hospital porter, said he spends all his time with Karen because they are scared of Anne's actions.
Anne who is the mother of James' three children said she did not think anything was wrong with her number plate. "If people want to call me a stalker, why shouldn't I have it? I'm not going to crawl under some stone and hide", she said, "I see people looking at me and wondering if I am a stalker. Well, now they know, I'm having the last laugh here."
Magistrates at Wigan were told last year that Anne bombarded the couple with threatening telephone calls, followed Karen home from work and had their houses raided after telling police James and Karen possessed illegal firearms.

COURT HEARS OF TRAGIC BACKGROUND OF 12 YEAR OLD BOY

A 12 year-old who has wreaked havoc in Wigan over the last few months has appeared in court.
Over the last two years the child has burgled houses and businesses, carried a knife, intimidated a witness, smashed windows, attempted to steal from a car and shoplifted.
Magistrates have decided he should be kept in secure accommodation until he is sentenced.
The boy pleaded guilty to the three latest offences; burglary, vandalism and interfering with a car. The bench also heard the harrowing story of the child's youth which is blamed for his slide into crime.
Mrs Alice Blackburn, prosecuting, described his latest offences which took place in March and April this year. He was seen by witnesses amashing a window on a house in Devon Road Tyldesley, by throwing a brick at it. The boy was also spotted helping to burgle a home on Lever Street in the village.
Mrs Blackburn said, "The owner said she left her house at lunchtime to do voluntary work at a charity shop. Within half an hour a neighbour told her that her house had been broken into. She saw the window of her ground floor flat had been opened. Her handbags had been thrown about the room." The victim could not identify if anything had been stolen.
In April a man returned to his E-reg Ford Fiesta, parked on Standishgate Wigan and caught the schoolboy and another youth leaning into his car through the passenger seat. The police were called and the defendant was arrested.
Miss Melissa Fagan, defending, said the child had been coaxed into throwing the brick at the window and during the burglary had never set foot inside the house. She then decribed the horrific details of the boy's short life.
His father was a heroin addict and he often prepared and used the drug in front of his son. The turning point came in March last year when his Dad committed suicide. Miss Fagan said, "He said he was asleep and when he awoke he went downstairs to find his parents. He saw everyone was in the street. Someone told him his father had been found hanging in the garden." Since then communications had broken down with his mother. In the past few months he has been found by the police sleeping in charity clothes bins and wandering the streets at midnight.
The magistrates asked for a pre-sentence report. They said they would keep all their options open, including a custodial punishment, for when he returns to court on Thursday June 15th.

FRED DIBNAH JOINS THE PUSH FOR PIT MUSEUM

Britain's best known steam buff has thrown his famous flat cap behind calls to bring a historic mining archive to Wigan.
Steeplejack and industrial heritage fan Fred Dibnah visited the Astley Colliery project to add his voice to the growing calls that it should become the new home to the now closed Lancashire Mining Museum at Buile Hill. He appeared at the home of Britain's most powerful preserved steam pit winding engine at the invitation of Coun John Lea, who has taken up the campaign cudgels following the retirement of Metro colleague and ex-pitman Jimmy Jones.
Wigan are currently considering wether to buy the collection from hard pressed custodians Salford City Council.
Town Hall chiefs are now drawing up an amendment to the existing Astley Colliery National Lottery fund bid which will include extra cash to relocate the exhibits, most of which come from the Wigan coalfield, and eventually display them.
Coun Lea said, "Astley Green museum project has the last remaining lattice work headgear in the country along with the largest working steam winding engine and would make a marvellous home for the Lancashire Mining Museum (LMM) collection.
"Fred is already a supporter of Astley Green but he is also very much in favour of the LMM being based here and was pleased to hear that talks are going on between Wigan and Salford that could make it happen. Certainly with Astley Green being close to the Bridgewater Canal, with it's Worsley Delph coal-working attractions and the Liverpool-Manchester railway line immortalised by Stephenson's "Rocket", Wigan Borough has the makings of a mega tourist attraction here."
Metro director of leisure Rodney Hill has already met with his opposite number at salford City Council to discuss the future of the collection. And now leisure officers from both town halls are to meet to discuss the feasibility of part or all being relocated. The move follows Salford's controversial decision to close down the Buile Hill based LMM in June.

DELIGHTED PALS WIN GOLD AWARDS

Two friends have won medals for a display at Chelsea Flower Show.
Marjorie Bourne, of Barn Lane Golborne and Hazel Addison of Lime Grove Lowton came first in the stained glass category. They are both members of the Winwick Flower Club and have been working together for four years.
Marjorie ran her own shop Flower Design in Golborne until Christmas when her daughter took over, and Hazel teaches craft and flower arranging at St Helens.
Marjorie said, "We were shocked to discover we had won, it's the first time we have been to the Chelsea Flower Show. We would especially like to thank Hazel's sister Dorothy Jepson who drove us down to London and back for the event."
Winwick Flower club meets on the third Thursday of every month at the Winwick Leisure centre at 7.30pm.

MAN DIED AFTER FALLING UNDER BUS

A Wigan man died after falling under a bus in the town this week.
James Alan Barker, 56, of of Brookside Worsley Mesnes, died when he went under the wheels of a single decker bus near a lay-by on Wallgate at about 10.10pm last Wednesday(31st).
The fatal accident took place near the roadworks site by Wallgate Railway bridge. Police closed off the area and fire crews were called to free Mr Barker from under the First Manchester bus, but he was already dead at the scene. There are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.
Russell Gard, First Manchester operations director said, "First Manchester will collaborate fully with the official investigation into this tragic event which will include whatever input is required from our staff.
"At this time one of our main concerns is the well-being of the driver involved, who is deeply shocked by the incident. The company will do all it can to support him over the coming days."