Further delay to case of ex-councillor accused of assault

Bob Wegg, 77, was meant to see his court case wrapped up with a caution. But no caution has been confirmed after more than a month.

He was a member of Yarm Town Council when he was accused of assaulting Juliet Johnson at Yarm Town Hall on July 29 last year. Ms Johnson was the council clerk at the time but both have since resigned their positions on the council.

Mr Wegg, of The Spital, Yarm, pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault by beating at an earlier hearing. His solicitor Neil Taylor said he denied there was any assault or any injuries.

He was due to stand trial on July 22, but this was aborted on the day as it emerged he would receive a caution. The case was adjourned for the caution to be administered, with his attendance at court excused.

However, when the case came back to Teesside Magistrates’ Court today (August 26), prosecutor Imogen Brown said Cleveland Police had not confirmed the caution had been done. She said the Crown Prosecution Service escalated the matter on August 13, but received no response.

Ms Brown said: “I would be asking if we could adjourn for two weeks to receive a confirmation that he has or hasn’t be cautioned. The Crown would be asking for an adjournment to get that caution.”

She said a reviewing lawyer would write to make sure the case was escalated again.

Georgia Wilkinson, defending, said she would not oppose an adjournment: “A caution has been offered to this defendant, who is not here. He is an elderly male of previous good character.

“He cannot do anything until the police have been in contact with him.”

Leanne Oxley-Hold, chairing the magistrates’ bench, adjourned the case until the afternoon of September 24 “in the hope that the caution will have been done”, excusing Mr Wegg’s attendance again for that hearing. But she noted it had already been postponed for weeks, saying: “We can’t keep putting it off.”