Former Wigan Warriors rugby player who walked away from pub takeover guilty of assault and stalking
A former rugby league star who has mysteriously walked away from a pub takeover has recently pleaded guilty to assault and stalking, the Post can reveal.
Wesley Cotton, who played for Wigan Warriors and London Bronchos, was announced on October 17 as the incoming licensee of The Boathhouse in Appley Bridge, West Lancashire, which is undergoing a £214,000 revamp.
But just eight days later, Star Pubs announced it was all change, and Mr Cotton would no longer be involved. They declined to elborate on the reasons why.
Court case
Now the Post can reveal that Mr Cotton, 47, appeared at Chester Magistrates Court earlier this year and pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating which occured in May and September 2022, and ‘stalking without fear/alarm/distress’ between May 1, 2022 and November 17, 2022.
He was sentenced on June 27, where he was given an eight week jail sentence, suspended for two years, and a two-year restraining order.
It is not known whether Mr Cotton’s criminal record has had any bearing on him no longer taking over the pub. But it is known that people applying for Personal Licences to run drinking establishments have to declare any unspent criminal convictions. While convictions do not prevent people from gaining a Personal Licence, objections can be made by interested parties, including the police.
When asked what background checks were carried out before announcing Mr Cotton as the new pub landlord, Star Pubs declined to comment, stating: “We do not discuss the individual circumstances of operators, who are independent business people.”
West Lancashire Borough Council, the licensing authority for Appley Bridge, say they have no record of Mr Cotton holding a Personal Licence, but he may hold one in another issued by another council.