Four men and two 16-year-old boys appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, August 6, following a riot in Bolton which saw fireworks set off and police cars smashed.
On Monday, August 5, four men and a 16-year-old boy appeared in court in connection with the demonstrations.
Today, a further four men and two 16-year-old boys appeared, charged with offences including cocaine possession, violent disorder, criminal damage, and possession of an offensive weapon.
It comes a day after Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham – who acts as the region's police and crime commissioner – said more people would be brought before the courts throughout the week.
Dominic Stanbridge pleads not guilty
Dominic Stanbridge pleaded not guilty to violent disorder on August 4.
The 30-year-old, who lives on Highland Drive in Buckshaw Village, Chorley, was refused bail and will appear at Bolton Crown Court on September 9.
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Liam Powell pleads guilty to cocaine possession at demonstration
Liam Powell pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine.
Prosecuting, John Potter said the 28-year-old, who lives on Hendon Court, Buckshaw Village, Chorley, had been part of ‘large scale disorder outside a pub’ in Bolton on August 4.
Police found Powell in a group of three males and one female. After a search, officers found a ‘small snap bag’ containing cocaine.
The court heard that Powell has 11 convictions for 17 offences, including three drug-related matters from 2012 to 2021 and a violent robbery offence in 2018.
Defending, duty solicitor Gabriella Black said Powell had used the powder on his gums for pain relief and did not know it was cocaine when he purchased it.
Asking for Powell to be punished with a fine, Ms Black said Powell works as a fabricator earning £400 a week.
Judge Hirst said the ‘aggravating features’ of the offence had been the ‘high-risk environment’ in which he was found with the cocaine, with police only attending due to the ‘large scale disorder’.
She added that the community is “always harmed by this type of possession.”
Powell was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a government surcharge of £114, for a total of £199.
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Matthew Edge pleads guilty
Matthew Edge pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.
The 34-year-old – listed as Mathew Edge in court documents – was charged with possessing a hammer at Bolton Town Hall on Sunday, August 4.
Edge was also charged with possession of a class B drug.
He was remanded into custody and will appear at Bolton Crown Court on Monday, September 2.
First 16-year-old boy weeps as bail refused
Later in the day, a 16-year-old boy wept as he was told he had been refused bail at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.
District Judge Jane Hamilton refused bail to the boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons – charged with violent disorder on August 4.
The crown alleged that the boy was part of a group who kicked a man’s head ‘like a football’, the court heard.
Defence solicitor Edgar Fernando said the boy denied kicking the man.
He has now been remanded in youth detention, with a further hearing set at Manchester Magistrates’ Court in seven days where a trial date will be announced.
James Nelson wore pink balaclava and smashed police cars
James Nelson, aged 18, was sent to prison after he pleaded guilty to criminal damage after smashing two police vehicles in Morrisons car park.
He is believed to be one of the first to be sent to prison nationwide following the riots.
The court heard how Nelson, of Victoria Road, Horwich, damaged the vehicles on Sunday, August 4, as demonstrators clashed in the town centre.
Prosecuting, John Potter described how police officers returned to the Ford Focus and Peugeot vehicles parked at Morrisons on Black Horse Street to find ‘significant’ windscreen damage, side windows smashed, and a wing mirror knocked off.
Mr Potter described Nelson as being of ‘good character’ with no previous convictions, but said his offence was aggravated by the demonstrations over the weekend.
Defending, duty solicitor Gabriella Black said Nelson, who lives with his grandparents, ‘suffers from ADHD’ and has issues with anger, and had not been taking his medication at the time of the offence.
She added that the offence “was completely out of character for him.”
In response, District Judge Joanne Hirst asked Ms Black “why did he attend a mass demonstration wearing a pink balaclava,” to which Black responded she was not sure.
Judge Hirst continued: “Let’s assume he was trying to evade identification should he be involved in violence.”
Judge Hirst said she would not be ordering a report before sentencing as she considered there would be ‘nothing that came out of it’ that would deter her imposing an immediate custodial sentence.
She said: “You were involved in the appalling and shameful disorder that impacted national the national community and Bolton community.”
She added: “You may have difficulties, but I imagine everyone involved in that violence has difficulties.”
Judge Hirst said an immediate custodial sentence would be the only type of punishment that would be enough ‘to deter others from damaging police vehicles’.
Nelson was sentenced to two months imprisonment and ordered to pay £4,999 compensation.
Second 16-year-old boy pleads not guilty
A 16-year-old boy pleaded not guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found with an ‘eight-inch’ stainless steel spanner on Newport Street, Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard, between 3pm and 4pm on Sunday, August 4.
After being stopped by police, the boy said he had a weapon on him – the spanner.
Later, at police interview, the boy said he did not know why he said ‘weapon’ adding that it may have been due to the ‘connotations’ of the word ‘tool’, defence solicitor Rawlings said.
Rawlings added that nobody had sighted the boy at the protest, with the boy saying he had been taking his younger brother away from the scene.
District judge Jane Hamilton granted bail for the boy, imposing a condition that he must not attend any protests.
She added: “This is a serious allegation against you, and it’s within the mass disorder that was going on in Bolton, and obviously the fear it would cause to the local shop-owners, but also the fear between the two factions that compete in riots like that, and the fact you were found with a weapon or something that could be used as a weapon is something court will have to decide at trial.”
A trial date was set for Manchester Magistrates’ Court on January 31.
Judge Hamilton added: “If you hear of a protest going on in any town, not just Bolton, and you go in the vicinity – so, streets away – then you could be arrested for going to that protest.
“So, if you hear of anything else going on then stay well away, if you do get arrested for any protest then you will appear from there: the glass box.”
If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk.
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