Brothers “took law
into their own hands”
by James Parr
THREE brothers chased and beat up a man who threw bricks at a four-year-old girl and her disabled grandmother.
John Griffiths, 18, Jamie Griffiths, 22 and Shaun Griffiths, 24, were each ordered to do 150 hours unpaid community work at Warrington Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing an affray.
Shaun Griffiths was also ordered to pay ?70 costs.
Judge Stephen Clarke told them: “If you take the law into your own hands you are liable to be punished.”
Joanne Parsons, prosecuting, said a man approached the brothers’ home in Kingsway North, Warrington, drinking a can of lager.
He was accompanied by a dog which strayed onto the Griffiths’ premises and started barking, upsetting the brothers’ disabled mother and Shaun’s four-year-old daughter.
The man became abusive after being told to remove himself and his dog from the property and hit Shaun twice with a dog chain.
He left the scene, but returned moments later armed with two bricks which he hurled at the house a new Vauxhall Astra car in which the distressed child and her grandmother were seated.
The brothers then chased the man to a nearby off-licence where a brawl took place, resulting in staff at the shop calling police.
Jonathan Rogers, defending, said John Griffiths had tried to calm things down and although Jamie had been carrying a crow bar at the start of the chase, he had dropped it when they caught up with the man.
The man, by contrast, had persistently used the dog chain against the brothers.
College is tickled pink
to help cancer charity
PRO-active Priestley College students were Tickled Pink for a day to raise money for national charity the Breast Cancer Campaign.
Students and staff at the Warrington college were dressed to impress as they brightened the day with their pink attire.
During the day, students also held a raffle, name the bear competition and sold pink ribbons. In total the colourful college managed to raise around ? 1,000 for the charity, which run the campaign to promote awareness of the disease and to fund vital research.
Each year, more than 44,000 women and 750 men are diagnosed with breast cancer, resulting 12,500 women and 70 men dying from the disease.
Curriculum manager for Early Years and Health and Social Care, Bev Whittaker said: “To raise over ?1,000 in a day was a great effort by all concerned at college. To put things in perspective that amount of money will provide the basic equipment that a Breast Cancer Campaign funded researcher would need to carry out scientific experiments – it is with that in mind that the staff and students at Priestley should be rightly proud of their efforts.”
Kerry is just
so irritating
by James Parr
WARRINGTON-born Kerry Katona has been named as Britain’s most irritating person in a new survey.
Controversial Kerry managed to win more votes than people like Russell Brand, Victoria Beckham and Jade Goody to top the survey carried out for a lactose free dairy equivalent of milk.
The 27-year-old pregnant mother of three fell out of favour with the public after she received more than 2,000 votes in the survey.
This caps a miserable year for Kerry, who divorced former Westlife singer Bryan Mc Fadden, was held captive while armed robbers broke into her Cheshire mansion and faced criticism for her recent GMTV interview with Andrew Castle.
Top of the list of Britain’s pet hates was cold callers closely followed by tail gaters, queue jumpers and slow Internet connections.
Kerry ranked in eighth, one place below stepping in dog poo and just above brownnosers.
Last year’s unwanted title of most irritating person went to singer James Blunt, who this time managed to claim second place behind Kerry.
No major incidents –
just 1,423 calls!
by staff reporter
HALLOWEEN passed off without any major incidents in the Warrington area according to Cheshire Police.
In fact, the total number of calls they received throughout the day was down on last year’s celebrations.
Cheshire Police received a total of 1,423 calls on October 31 – 761 of those calls coming between 5pm and midnight.
This was slightly up on Wednesday the previous week, which was half term, when a total of 1,248 calls were received.
Uproar over plan
for drug clinic
by James Parr
ANGRY neighbours and councillors have voiced their objections to plans for a drug dependency unit to be built in Bold Street Warrington.
Plans to convert an office building into a drug dependency unit have sparked a heated backlash from 13 neighbours and councillors Bob Timmis and Pat Wright.
They claim that there is no need for the facility due to a similar building already existing in Wilson Pattern Street.
Other reasons for objection are the fact that businesses surrounding the premises have not been notified, people who work near the site will be at risk and drug users have already set an existing premises on fire in the past.
A report into the conversion will go before the borough council?s development control committee next week.
If the plans are given the green light, a manager, doctor, three team leaders, three nurses, 12 general workers and two administrative staff will be employed at the unit.
The initial application has been received from a registered charity from Brighton which provides support to individuals, families and communities whose lives are adversely affected by drug misuse.
News in brief
Factory fire
FIRE crews were called to the works of Peter Stubs, in Wilderspool Causeway, to deal with a fire involving an industrial oven. They dealt with the blaze and isolated the unit.
Hospital lottery
WINNING numbers in the weekly lottery run by the League of Friends of Warrington Hospital were 3, 13, 15 and 16. There was no winner so the jackpot prize will be rolled over to next week. A ?25 consolation prize was won by a hospital visitor.
Bonfire vandals
VANDALS set fire to bonfires in Fisher Avenue, Orford and Collins Street, Warrington and firefighters were called out to extinguish them. There was no damage to property.
Lorry overturns
A LORRY driver was left needing first aid when his articulated vehicle overturned in the early hours of the morning at the Winwick roundabout in Newton Road, Warrington. Fire crews managed to clear the site before the morning traffic rush.
