Court round-up: Man, 30, pleads not guilty to kidnap charge

CHEADLE: Thirty-year-old, Neal Stockton, has pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnap, threats to kill and two counts of having a kitchen knife at Hanley Bus Station.

Stockton, of Sun Street in Cheadle, is set to have his trial heard at Stoke-on-trent Crown Court over three days.

ENDON: A 47-year-old man will appear in court charged with possessing a knife.

Frederick Salt, whose address is given as HMP Hewell in Redditch, is accused of committing the offence in Leek Road in Endon on August 5.

He was due to appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre but the bench heard he had been recalled to prison. The case was adjourned and Salt will appear via videolink on September 19. LEEK: Sixty-year-old Peter Cohen has been fined £120 after being caught with heroin. The defendant, of Queen Street, Leek, was stopped and searched after he got out of a car in Leek on March 3. Police recovered a Kinder Egg which contained eight wraps of heroin worth £160. Cohen pleaded guilty to possession of a class A drug. Andrew Bennett, mitigating, said the defendant is seeking help for his habit. As well as the fine, Cohen must pay £135 costs and a £30 surcharge.

WERRINGTON: Teenage prisoner Ethan Kirkwood has been jailed for an extra 16 weeks after assaulting another inmate.

The 18-year-old admitted assaulting the youth at HMP Werrington Young Offenders’ Institution on February 23.

North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the assault happened at 9.15am during an education class.

The defendant joined in the assault after another teenager launched a flying kick at the victim.

Kirkwood, of HMP Swinfen Hall, was jailed for 13 years in July for possessing a shotgun with intent and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Edward Ball, mitigating, said Kirkwood was not the prime mover but accepted he threw some punches. The 16-week sentence will run consecutively to the defendant’s 13-year jail term.

LEEK: Fifty-one-year-old Robert Garner kicked a police officer after he was told to leave an address.

North Staffordshire magistrates heard police were called to the address in Westwood Heath Road, Leek, because the defendant was drunk and banging on the door.

Prosecutor Emma Thompson said: “Police asked him to leave and told him not to return. But he returned and sat on the driveway.

“Police went to arrest him and he began to struggle. He kicked an officer twice on the legs.

“Another officer intervened and the defendant resisted arrest.”

The defendant said he was attempting to get in the house because he was concerned for his partner’s welfare.

Garner, of Rosebank Street, Leek, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty and resisting a police officer in the execution of his duty on August 18.

Simon Dykes, mitigating, said the defendant is remorseful and embarrassed about his behaviour.

Magistrates fined Garner £120 and ordered him to pay £100 compensation to the officer he kicked, £135 costs and a £30 surcharge.