BOLTON: Violent railway yob caged

Violent railway yob caged

A YOB who hurled a bottle at another man, leaving him blind in one eye, during a mass brawl at a railway station has been jailed for 16 months.

Kristen Hallows, aged 27, of Kendrew Road, Deane, was one of seven men sentenced today for their roles in the disturbance at Wigan's Wallgate station.

Trouble flared after a confrontation on a train from Manchester Airport to Southport between two groups of men from Wigan and Bolton.

The Wigan Athletic fans were returning from a match in Newcastle but Liverpool Crown Court heard the violence was not football-related.

When the train arrived at Wallgate at 10.30pm, a fight broke out, involving some people who have never been identified, and lasted for five or six minutes.

Hallows picked up a bottle which had been thrown into the booking hall, where the trouble took place, and hurled it back out to the concourse.

It struck a 35-year-old Wigan man in the face and he he consequently lost the sight in his right eye.

Hallows admitted affray and inflicting grievous bodily harm. Alongside him in the dock were Andrew Gidney, aged 21, of Bramcote Avenue, Bolton, Gavin Vause, aged 22, of Lydgate Avenue, Breightmet, and Craig Taylor, aged 25, of Crompton Way, Bolton.

They were all given four month suspended sentences after admitting affray.

Sentencing the men, Judge John Phipps said: "This was serious public disorder involving violence, aggression and the use of bottles as weapons.

"This was wholly unacceptable and this sort of incident inevitably causes fear and alarm to the public."

CCTV footage of the incident which showed the defendants was shown to the court. Judge Phipps said he accepted that Hallows had not intended to cause the victim's injury but it had been a dangerously reckless act.

Also present were Liam Gaskell, aged 19, of Walthew Lane, Wigan; Keith Lloyd-Jones, aged 41, of Toulston Road, Wigan, and Shaun Kelly, aged 38, of Perth Avenue, Ince, Wigan.

Gaskell also received a four month suspended sentence detention, while Kelly and Lloyd-Jones were both ordered to carry out 125 hours' unpaid work.

Rachel Widdicombe, defending, said that Hallows, a hard working man, had acted out of character and had not intended to cause Mr Carter's injuries.

Daniel Lloyd Jones, aged 20, of Warrington Road, Wigan; Andrew Wilson, aged 23, of Colenso Road, Tonge Fold, and David Hurst, aged 41, of Cowling Street, Poolstock, Wigan, all denied affray, and after no evidence was offered against them, not guilty verdicts were recorded.

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