POLICE have charged a man with drugs offences following a successful vehicle stop in Dutton. Christopher Pope was arrested at around 1.20pm on Wednesday after officers stopped a grey Ford Focus on Redacre Close. The 38-year-old, of Catalan Close in Winsford, has since been charged with two counts possession with intent to supply class A drugs, namely heroin and crack cocaine. He was remanded in custody and before his appearance at Warrington Magistrates’ Court. A 25-year-old man from Dingle in Liverpool was also arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. He has since been released under investigation pending further enquiries.
A HOUSE that has blighted a community in Runcorn has been closed for three months. This followed a large number of reports of drug dealing and anti-social social behaviour involving the address in Brookvale, which Cheshire Police has chosen not to disclose. There have been reports of a large number of people coming and going at all hours and violent incidents at the house, some of which have spilled out onto the streets. There have also been reports of members of the community being subjected to threatening and intimidating behaviour from people linked to the address. Granted by Warrington Magistrates Court Wednesday, the closure order makes it a crime for anyone other than the landlord to be at the house over the next three months.
A DRUG dealer took up the illegal enterprise after losing his job due to the coronavirus pandemic, a court has heard. Father-of-two Oliver Bates was rumbled by police last summer after they executed a search warrant at his then home. After discovering bags of cannabis destined for the streets, along with more than £500 in cash and drug paraphernalia, the 28-year-old made a ‘full and frank’ admission. He was hauled before Liverpool Crown Court to learn his fate, but he was told that he would not be heading to prison on this occasion. Prosecutor Alaric Walmsley explained to the court how Bates was present when police raided a property on Gorsey Lane in Padgate at 1.30pm on August 19.
A CONMAN builder scammed elderly customers out of thousands of pounds for fraudulent and substandard home improvement work. Adam Routledge, of Stenhills Crescent in Runcorn, appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to an offence of fraud committed in Manchester. The 36-year-old also had two similar offences of fraud committed in Cheshire taken into consideration before being handed a prison sentence. Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Trading Standards team joined forces with Halton Trading Standards to investigate complaints about the defendant from vulnerable residents in Runcorn and Northwich. They later joined up with Manchester Trading Standards colleagues who were already taking a case against him for similar offences.
A CONMAN builder scammed elderly customers in Northwich and Runcorn out of thousands of pounds for fraudulent and substandard home improvement work. Adam Routledge, of Stenhills Crescent in Runcorn, appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to an offence of fraud committed in Manchester. The 36-year-old also had two similar offences of fraud committed in Cheshire taken into consideration before being handed a prison sentence. Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Trading Standards team joined forces with Halton Trading Standards to investigate complaints about the defendant from vulnerable residents in Northwich and Runcorn. They later joined up with Manchester Trading Standards colleagues who were already taking a case against him for similar offences.