Wigan trial axed: no evidence offered in alleged attack case 2026

Key Points

• Matthew Howarth, 33, of Whatmore Street, Stoke-on-Trent, was due to stand trial at Bolton Crown Court in December 2026 over charges linked to an alleged attack in Wigan.
• He was charged with intending to cause grievous bodily harm to a named woman on 19 May, along with further alleged offences on other dates.
• At a pre-trial hearing, the prosecution offered no evidence against Howarth, and the case was withdrawn.
• The court directed that Howarth was free to go following the prosecution’s decision.
• The case was reported by Gaynor Clarke for Wigan Today.

Wigan (Manchester Mirror) August 24, 2026 — A man who was due to face trial in December over allegations of a violent attack in uk/local/wigan/">Wigan has walked free from court after prosecutors offered no evidence, bringing the case to an abrupt end. Matthew Howarth, 33, of Whatmore Street in Stoke-on-Trent, had been charged in connection with an incident in which he was accused of intending to cause grievous bodily harm to a named woman on 19 May, according to court proceedings reported by Gaynor Clarke of Wigan Today.

What charges did Matthew Howarth face in Wigan?

As reported by Gaynor Clarke of Wigan Today, Matthew Howarth had previously appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge charged with intending to cause a named female grievous bodily harm on 19 May. In addition to that charge, he further denied threatening to kill her on 31 May, smashing up her television on 3 May, and assaulting her by beating on 5 February last year, according to the same report.

A provisional trial date of 12 December 2026 had been set for the matter to be heard at Bolton Crown Court, the outlet said. The allegations, as outlined in court, centred on a series of incidents involving the same complainant across several months, with the most serious charge relating to an intention to cause grievous bodily harm.

How did the prosecution withdraw the case at Bolton Crown Court?

At a pre-trial hearing, the prosecution offered no evidence against Howarth and the case against him was withdrawn, Gaynor Clarke of Wigan Today reported. Following that development, the defendant was told he was free to go, the outlet said. The report does not set out the reasons why the Crown chose to offer no evidence, nor does it detail any submissions made by either side at the hearing.

In English criminal procedure, when the prosecution offers no evidence, the court typically enters a formal verdict of not guilty and discharges the defendant, bringing the proceedings to a close without a trial on the merits. The effect is that the accused leaves court without any finding of guilt on the charges that had been brought.

What is the current status of the defendant after the case collapsed?

Following the prosecution’s decision to offer no evidence, Matthew Howarth was discharged and told he was free to go, according to Wigan Today. The report does not indicate whether any other proceedings remain outstanding against him in relation to the same matters, nor does it state whether he had been on bail or remand prior to the hearing.

The collapse of the case means there is no trial scheduled for December on these charges, and the provisional trial date of 12 December 2026 is no longer operative in respect of this defendant and these allegations, as reported by Gaynor Clarke of Wigan Today.

What did Wigan Today and other outlets report about the case?

The primary public account of the development comes from Wigan Today, where journalist Gaynor Clarke reported that the case against Howarth had collapsed at a pre-trial hearing when the prosecution offered no evidence. The article states that Howarth had been due to stand trial at Bolton Crown Court in December on a charge of intending to cause grievous bodily harm, alongside other alleged offences, before the Crown withdrew the case.

A social media post by Wigan Today echoed the same core information, stating that the December trial of a man for an alleged vicious attack in Wigan had been scrapped after the case against him was withdrawn. No other national or regional titles are cited in the available material as having published separate, bylined reports on this specific hearing, and the Wigan Today account remains the principal source for the publicly reported details.

What legal steps follow when no evidence is offered in a Crown Court case?

When the prosecution offers no evidence in a Crown Court matter, the usual outcome is that the judge directs that formal verdicts of not guilty be entered on the relevant charges and the defendant is discharged, as seen in similar reported cases where key witnesses have failed to attend or the Crown has been unable to proceed. That process brings the criminal proceedings to an end without a full trial, and the accused is no longer at risk of conviction on those charges.

In some instances, the Crown may later seek to bring fresh proceedings if new evidence emerges and time limits allow, but that is a matter for the prosecuting authority and the courts, and nothing in the Wigan Today report indicates any such step has been announced. The available reporting focuses on the immediate result: the case has collapsed, no evidence has been offered, and the defendant has been told he is free to go.

Background to the development

The case originated from allegations of violence and threats involving a named woman in Wigan, with incidents alleged to have occurred on multiple dates, including 5 February, 3 May, 19 May and 31 May, according to the charges outlined in court and reported by Gaynor Clarke of Wigan Today. The most serious charge related to an intention to cause grievous bodily harm on 19 May, with additional allegations of a threat to kill and damage to property on other dates.

Matthew Howarth, 33, of Whatmore Street in Stoke-on-Trent, had been listed for a provisional trial at Bolton Crown Court on 12 December 2026, the outlet said. At a pre-trial hearing ahead of that date, the prosecution informed the court that it would offer no evidence, leading to the withdrawal of the case and the defendant’s discharge. The reporting does not elaborate on the investigative or evidential factors that led to the Crown’s decision, and no statement from the Crown Prosecution Service or the complainant is included in the published account.

Prediction: how this development may affect those following the case

For residents of Wigan and those monitoring local criminal justice outcomes, the collapse of this case is likely to prompt questions about the reasons behind the prosecution’s decision to offer no evidence, particularly given the seriousness of the original allegations. In the absence of detailed public explanation, some members of the public may seek further clarity from official channels, while others will note the outcome as an example of how cases can be discontinued before trial when the evidential threshold is not met.

For the defendant, the immediate effect is that he faces no further proceedings on these charges unless new action is taken, and he leaves court with formal verdicts of not guilty entered as a result of the prosecution’s election to offer no evidence. For the complainant and those closely affected by the allegations, the end of the case without a trial may bring mixed reactions, depending on their expectations of the process and their understanding of why the Crown did not proceed. More broadly, the episode underscores that Crown Court listings can change significantly before trial, with provisional dates set well in advance but subject to alteration as cases develop.