Bolton: Trial set as men deny child sex abuse charges

The 13 men, from across Bolton and Lancashire, were all set to appear before Bolton Crown Court this week to state their pleas.

Brought in mostly one-by-one they all denied almost all of the accusations, allegedly committed against girls under 16 years old in the Blackrod and Adlington areas, set out by prosecutor Ben Lawrence.

Addressing the defendants, Judge Nicholas Clarke KC said: “Your trial has been set for next year, and there are a number of important stages we have set in court until then.”

First to appear in the dock was Ashley Darbyshire, 26, of Bolton Road, Westhoughton, who pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of sexual activity with a child, six counts of rape, one count of sexual assault, three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of sexual communications with a child.

Ashley Darbyshire (Image: PA)

Next Corey Barratt, 22, of Wigan, and Harvey Aspden, 23, of Bolton, were brought into the dock.

Barratt pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and two counts of assault by penetration, while Aspden denied three counts of sexual activity with a child.

Harvie Aspden (Image: PA)

They were followed by Jack Poulson, 29, of Blackrod, who pleaded not guilty to assault by penetration, four counts of rape, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without their consent, three counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of inciting a child to sexual activity and one count of sexual communications with a child.

Richard Haslam, 34, of Bolton, followed him into the dock where he denied three counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration, two counts of sexual activity with a child and another count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

James Fitzgerald, 34, of Bolton, was also due to plead that day but his hearing was adjourned after the court heard he had been taken into custody on an unrelated matter.

Jamie Fitzgerald (Image: PA)

The following defendant was Elliott Turner, 24, of Bolton, who pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual activity with a child.

He was followed by Brandon Harwood, 23, of Horwich, who denied charges of rape, two counts of attempted rape, and two more counts of sexual activity with a child.

Ross Corley, 28, of Blackrod, was next to plead and denied two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Daniel Flatters, 32, of Darcy Lever, was then brought into the dock where he entered the case’s only guilty plea, admitting to aggravated vehicle taking.

Daniel Flatters (Image: PA)

But he pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child, rape and supplying a controlled drug to another.

Michael Linfoot, 22, of Chorley and Thomas Rae, 21, also of Chorley, each pleaded not guilty to rape, while Callum Hesketh, 22, of Chorley, will plead at a later date.

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The case will come back before the court on October 6 this year for a further case management hearing, while the trials have been set for September 23, 2024 and January 20, 2025.

Until then then defendants have been granted bail on terms including that they stay at their addresses and that they have no contact with any girls under 16-years-old, other than is unavoidable in the course of daily life.

They have also been warned not to have any co-association with each other or contact with the alleged victims and to stay away from an address in Blackrod.