Drug addict threatened
to cut woman’s throat
by James Parr
A CRAZED drug and alcohol addict from Warrington was given a 10 month suspended jail sentence for threatening to cut a woman’s throat for the sake of ?25.
He pinned the woman ? a life-long friend ? to a sofa and held a broken glass to her throat and demanded cash, Warrington Crown Court was told.
Paul Hilditch, 42, from Cavendish Close, Old Hall admitted robbery.
Nicholas Williams, prosecuting, said Hilditch had been friends with the woman all his life and even went to school with her brother.
He visited her at her home one evening, apparently under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
When the woman questioned him about what he had been taking, he flew into a blind rage, demanding money and threatening her with violence.
She eventually gave him five pound coins from her bra and he left the house. Later she discovered he had also taken a ?20 note from the coffee table.
The court heard Hilditch had problems with both drugs and alcohol and ironically had attended rehabilitation classes with the woman’s brother.
Michael Davies, defending, said his client had taken steps to curb his addictions. A pre-sentence report indicated he was not a substantial risk to the public.
Judge Janet Case ordered the defendant to attend an accredited rehabilitation programme and also made him subject of a restraining order to ensure he did not approach the victim.
Busy college fundraisers
STUDENTS from Warrington?s Priestley College have been busy trying to pull in funds for trips to Iceland and Kenya next year.
Groups of youngsters have been out in force doing a sponsored 10-mile trek around Delamere Forest and getting their hands dirty by washing staff cars.
In order for each student to go on the trips, they must raise more than ?1,000 each to cover travel costs.
Priestley will be returning to Kenya as part of its ongoing commitment to the Runo School Appeal, which in recent times has led to the building of a new school in the north west of the country.
The trip to Iceland will form a vital part of geography and geology students’ studies by letting them experience the varying aspects of the climate first hand.
Tutor Geoff Rudall said: “The trips will be a real education for the students, supporting their studies. Many students have gone onto travel the globe more widely after their involvement on these trips in previous years.”
A chance to have a
say on council’s budget
by David Skentelbery
MEMBERS of the public are being given a chance to have a say on fixing Warrington Borough Council?s budget for the coming year.
Five consultation meetings are to be held across the borough ? but residents are being advised to book if they want to attend because space will be limited.
The initiative follows the successful Which Way Warrington consultation event held at the Parr Hall in November last year which was widely praised by council tax payers.
This time, the council is aiming to make it even easier for members of the public to attend by holding five separate meetings across the borough. It is anticipated that meetings will not last more than one and-a-half hours.
All the meetings will start at 6.30pm and will be held at the following venues on the following dates:
Wednesday November 14: St Mark’s Church, Longshaw Street, Dallam.
Wednesday November 21: Penketh Parish Swimming Pool and Community Centre, Honiton Way, Penketh.
Thursday November 22: Birchwood High School, Admirals Road, Birchwood.
Monday November 26: Bridgewater High School, Broomfields Road, Appleton.
Tuesday November 27: The Gateway, Sankey Street, Warrington.
The number to call to book a place is 01925 442015 or email [email protected]
Kathryn short listed
for policing award
by James Parr
A WARRINGTON “bobby” has been short listed for a special award at the prestigious Jane’s Police Review Gala Awards.
Kathryn Harkin has been nominated for Community Support Office of the Year at the ceremony, which takes place in London later in the month.
She has received the nomination for her work in providing children in Warrington and Cheshire with personal safety advice and enlisting the help of a private company who funded the production of 45,000 wristbands to promote the scheme.
Kathryn will be joining four other nominees from the Cheshire Police Force at the event.
Attack victim suffered
broken leg and nose
by David Skentelbery
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man was apparently beaten up in Warrington town centre in the early hours of the morning.
The man was found by passersby in Rylands Street, unable to get to his feet and with blood streaming from his nose. He was complaining of pains in his leg.
He was taken to hospital where it was found he had a broken leg and a broken nose.
His clothing had been partly stripped from him when he was found.
Police say the man had been drinking in the town centre on the evening of Wednesday, November 7 with a friend. They left Panama Jack’s bar at around 3am and went their separate ways.
The victim walked along Bridge Street and into Rylands Street where he was found near the BetFred betting shop.
A police spokesman said: “It is not clear how he came by his injuries.”
Anyone who can help police is asked to call DC Tracy Short on 01244 613831.
Help for stressed
out workers
by staff reporter
STRESSED out workers in Warrington were given the chance to relieve some of their tension as stress busting massages were on offer at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
A 10 minute seated acupressure massage was available from Vida Holistic Living, free of charge, in a bid reduce stress levels among employees.
This event marked National Stress Awareness day, which has been established by International Stress Management UK.
According to a survey by the Health and Safety Executive, high stress levels in workers are very common and in 2005/06 one in six employees rated their jobs as either very or extremely stressful.
Kate Humphries from Vida Holistic Living said: “This was an ideal opportunity to take a 10 minute break from their desks and rejuvenate themselves, and a great opportunity to highlight the importance of taking time to de-stress and recharge.”
Treatments were carried out by award winning Vida, who specialise in effectively increasing productivity and morale by helping to reduce work related stress and absenteeism through holistic therapy.
Car dealership
to become “grotto”
by James Parr
A WARRINGTON car dealership will become a ?grotto? over the festive period as a collection point for shoeboxes for charity Operation Christmas Child.
Polar Ford, in Winwick Road, will be helping the charity, which provides shoeboxes filled with toys and other goods to deprived children all around the world.
Anyone can fill and wrap the boxes with new goods or things that are no longer of use to them.
Last year, more than 1.24 million boxes were sent out to children across Eastern Europe and Africa.
Shoeboxes can be dropped off at Polar Ford until November 20.
