S I T TI BI

COMITUM

SANCTA COMORS

Registered at the Post Office as a Newspaper Est. 1893

INCORPORATED WITH THE CONGLETON AND MACCLESFIELD MERCURY

THURSDAY, 9th DECEMBER, 2010.

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Teenager tried to rape woman on New Year’s Eve, court told

Donkey-centred Nativity was a galloping success

A Congleton teenager has gone on trial for attempted rape after a New Year’s Eve gig last year.

The 17-year-old is alleged to have led a 35-year-old woman to Daven Primary School laying fields after the performance, telling her he would take her to a party,

efore forcing himself on her.

Prosecutor David Potter told the jury at Chester Crown Court on Monday that the man attempted to rape his alleged victim, as well as biting, beating and almost suffocating her.

They had both been at a New

Year’s Eve gig at the Beat Route club to watch Congleton band The Rittz.

The woman admitted that she had kissed the defendant earlier that night, but put it down to the spirit of New Year.

The woman was intending to stay with a friend that night but when she couldn’t find him after midnight the defendant told her that he would look after her, and knew where the party was.

In an interview with the police the victim spoke of the persistence and growing force of the defendant’s actions in the park: “He started grabbing me more and more and that is when it started getting more persistent. I tried to tell him ‘no’ with my actions because I am not so vocal about these things. I should have pushed him away. I remember him saying over and over ‘I like you, I like you’ and I said ‘I don’t know you and I don’t care, let go of me’.”

The court heard that the defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, walked with the woman for around 10 minutes, hugging and kissing her en route, but instead of taking her to the house party, led her to the deserted playing field.

She said that she had hugged and kissed him during the walk but had pushed his hands away when he tried to grab at her body. She added that she had thought he was harmless. • —Turn to back page.

Mr Potter explained that after entering the park the defendant sat down on the grass and pulled the woman onto his lap: “He pulled her to the floor and tried to grab at her body; she said ‘no’ but he became very persistent. After he got on top of her he put his hand over her mouth as she tried to shake her head free. She was trying to shake him off but he managed to get her pants down and tried to enter her but couldn’t.”

Aspiring actors at The Quinta Primary School have been performing a Nativity play with a difference for their proud parents this week. “The little donkey seller” has been dubbed a galloping success by all audiences at the Ullswater Road school at West Heath, Congleton. Pictured centre is donkey seller Isobel Worthington with donkeys Harry Glover, Spencer Sheard, Keira Hall, Kelly Bowyer,

Jasmine Farrar and Ethan Mills. To see a cast photo and to order re-prints visit chronicleseries.com/photos.asp (“Chronicle” photo. 4929a/10).

Telephoning the ‘Chronicle’

The “Chronicle” is having a new switchboard installed tomorrow (Friday) and it is possible our phone lines will be down for an hour some time during the day. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this might cause. You can still email us on chronicleseries@aol.com

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Children in contact with asbestos at old mill, resident claims

A disused Congleton mill that is a hotspot for trespassing children is riddled with “lethal asbestos”, the “Chronicle” has been told

A resident who wished to remain anonymous said a recent inspection revealed that Bromley Mill, on Bromley Road was harbouring three different types of asbestos.

Plus Dane Housing, which is buying the property, confirmed there was asbestos present and that it had contractors on standby to get rid of it as soon as they became the owners.

A Plus Dane spokesman said: “We don’t own Bromley Mill, it is owned by someone else. We want to demolish it and redevelop it to build 12 homes for social rent but we can’t step foot into the building until ‘clear total’ when we own it.”

and added: “As soon as we get this clear total our contractors and asbestos experts will move in that day and start disposing of the asbestos. We have a contractor on standby to do so.”

The spokesman said that it had taken so long because of a dispute between the mill owners and a local resident who is in dispute over his rights to park his car on the property as he has done for the past 20 years.

The spokesman continued: “Everyone just wants this to be sorted as soon as possible. The owners and the man making the parking claim are all in favour of the demolition and our plans. It is what Congleton needs but these legal matters take a long time and we are hoping it will be settled soon.”

The spokesman said the current owners were aware of the asbestos • —Turn to back page.

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