Bolton men facing child sex charges split over 2 trials

The 13 men from across Bolton and Lancashire made their first appearance in court in April this year having been arrested as part of “Operation Pavarotti”, a police investigation into child sex abuse in the Blackrod area.

They were brought back to Bolton Crown Court this week ahead of the first trial, set to take place in September next year and a second to take place the following January.

Judge Elliott Knopf said: “Your trials remain listed for September 23 next year and 20 January 2025 respectively.

“What’s going to happen between now and then is preparations ahead of those trial dates.”

Ashley Darbyshire, 26 from Westhoughton (Image: PA)

Bolton Crown Court heard from prosecutor Timothy Ashmole how one of the men, 26-year-old Ashley Darbyshire, of Westhoughton, had been served with an original charge that was “not in law.”

He pleaded not guilty to a fresh count of making indecent images of children between May 2016 and July 2016.

At a previous hearing Darbyshire, defended by David Toal, had 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.

James Fitzgerald, 35 from Bolton (Image: PA)

At this week’s hearing, another of the men, 35-year-old James Fitzgerald, of Bolton, pleaded not guilty to committing assault by penetration on March 31, 2018.

Fitzgerald, defended by Andy Scott, had not been present at a previous plea hearing at Bolton Crown Court last May.

The court also heard how another of the men, 23-year-old Callum Hesketh of Chorley, had already pleaded guilty to making an indecent image of a child, in this case a Snapchat video on June 16, 2018.

Callum Hesketh, 23 from Chorley (Image: PA)

This week he was found not guilty of a second charge of distributing an indecent image of a child after no evidence was offered.

Hesketh, defended by Virginia Hayton, will be brought back to court to be sentenced after the other men’s trials have finished.

Until then, Judge Knopf ruled that he be electronically tagged and curfewed between 9.30pm and 6.30am.

Judge Knopf said: “I’ve been asked to delay the sentencing until after the trial of your co-defendants."

Michael Linfoot, 22 of Chorley (Image: PA)

Darbyshire and Fitzgerald are now set to be tried alongside the remaining men, who denied a wide range of charges when they were last brought before Bolton Crown Court last May.

They are Corey Barratt, 22, of Wigan, who denies five counts of rape and two counts of assault by penetration and Harvey Aspden, 23, of Bolton, who denies three counts of sexual activity with a child.

 Jack Poulson, 30, of Blackrod, has 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.

Ross Corley, 28, and also of Blackrod, denies two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Richard Haslam, 35, of Bolton, denies 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.

Elliott Turner, 25 of Bolton, pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual activity with a child, while Brandon Harwood, 23 of Horwich, has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, two counts of attempted rape, and two more counts of sexual activity with a child.

Daniel Flatters, 33, of Darcy Lever, has already admitted to aggravated vehicle taking but denies three counts of sexual activity with a child, rape and supplying a controlled drug to another.

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Michael Linfoot, 22, of Chorley, and Thomas Rae, 21, also of Chorley, have each pleaded not guilty to rape.

Linfoot’s case, defended by Daniel Travers, will next be discussed at a hearing on Tuesday October 31 to debate video evidence.

Judge Knopf said: “The prosecutor will play the relevant video with a cleared gallery that day.”

The first trial is now set to start on September 23, 2024 and is expected to last around 12 weeks.

The second  is now expected to start in January 20, 2025 and is expected to last two weeks.

The men, Hesketh aside, remain on bail under the same conditions as before.