Court BackCourt Backlogs Push Wigan Sexual Offences Triallogs Push Wigan Sexual Offences Trial 2026

Key Points

• Kyle Gill, who is 53 years old and from Norfolk Street, Newtown, Wigan, is charged with committing fourteen sexual offences against a boy in the age group of 12–14 years between December 2022 and November 2023.
• Gill pleads not guilty to all the charges, including inducing sexual activity, sexual touching, and adult sexual activity against the boy.
• Gill denies the charge of sexually assaulting a woman on Christmas Day 2023 and another of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl between June 2017 and June 2018.
• Gill’s case was due for hearing in September 2026 at Bolton Crown Court but it has now been put off until 24 January 2028 due to backlog problems in the courts.
• This sixteen-month postponement indicates the general problem of backlog in English Crown Courts, which affects sexual offences cases especially badly.

Wigan ( Manchester Mirror) Septenber 05, 2026 — Kyle Gill, 53, of Norfolk Street in Newtown, appeared at Bolton Crown Court this week where his trial on multiple sexual offence charges was moved from September 2026 to 24 January 2028. The postponement, confirmed during a pre-trial hearing, was attributed by the court to persistent backlogs affecting the listing of serious criminal cases.

Gill denies 14 counts, the majority of which relate to allegations concerning a boy aged between 12 and 14 during a period from December 2022 to November 2023. The charges include inciting the child to engage in sexual activity, sexually touching him, and engaging in adult sexual activity with him. He also denies a charge of sexually assaulting a woman on 25 December 2023, and a further count of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl between June 2017 and June 2018.

As reported by the Wigan Today crime desk, the case had been due to proceed to trial this month but could not be accommodated within the current court timetable. The new date, more than 16 months later, places the proceedings firmly into 2028.

Why was the trial moved from September 2026 to January 2028?

The hearing was told that the shift to January 2028 was necessitated by backlogs at Bolton Crown Court, which have constrained the availability of trial windows for complex and sensitive cases. While the court did not provide a detailed breakdown of listing pressures in this specific instance, the delay aligns with broader patterns seen across Crown Courts in England and Wales, where sexual offence trials frequently encounter scheduling difficulties.

Inspections of military courts earlier in 2026 noted that missed timeliness targets for sexual-offence trials were often linked to factors including barrister availability, case complexity, and the challenge of finding suitable trial dates—issues that also affect civilian Crown Courts. In parallel, data from Worcester Crown Court published in August 2026 showed the furthest ahead hearing scheduled for June 2028, with a backlog approaching 850 cases.

What charges does Kyle Gill face and what has he pleaded?

Kyle Gill has entered not guilty pleas to all 14 charges brought against him. The core of the prosecution case centres on three types of alleged offending against the same boy: inciting him to engage in sexual activity; sexually touching him; and engaging in adult sexual activity with him. These allegations are said to have occurred repeatedly between December 2022 and November 2023.

In addition, Gill denies one count of sexually assaulting a woman on Christmas Day 2023. He also denies a separate charge of sexually assaulting a girl aged 14 during the period from June 2017 to June 2018. All allegations will be put before a jury when the trial eventually commences in January 2028.

How do court backlogs affect sexual offence trials in England and Wales?

Sexual offence cases are among the most resource-intensive to list, given the need for special measures, witness availability, and often complex evidential schedules. National oversight bodies have repeatedly flagged delays in this category. For example, His Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate reported in August 2026 that military courts had failed to meet sexual-offence trial timeliness targets for three consecutive years, citing barrister availability, case complexity and trial-date scarcity as contributory factors.

In the civilian system, similar pressures have been documented. Reporting from Worcester in August 2026 highlighted that victims of sexual offences could face waits of up to five years in some jurisdictions, with Crown Court backlogs nearing 850 cases at one location. While Bolton Crown Court’s specific backlog figure was not disclosed in the Wigan Today report, the 16-month slippage in Gill’s trial date is consistent with the wider picture of stretched listing capacity.

What are the next procedural steps before the 2028 trial date?

With a trial date now fixed for 24 January 2028, the case will return to Bolton Crown Court for further pre-trial management hearings in the interim. These hearings typically address matters such as disclosure, expert evidence, witness arrangements, and any applications regarding special measures for vulnerable witnesses.

There is no general limitation period preventing the prosecution of serious sexual offences in England and Wales, meaning allegations can be tried regardless of the passage of time provided a fair trial remains possible. Should any party seek to challenge the fairness of proceeding after a long delay, the legal test focuses on whether ordinary trial procedures can protect the defendant’s rights, rather than on the mere length of time elapsed.

Background: how did court backlogs develop and why do they persist?

Court backlogs in England and Wales expanded sharply during the pandemic and have proved difficult to unwind, particularly for serious criminal work requiring judge-and-jury trials. Increases in historic sex offence cases and serious organised crime have compounded the problem, with some projections indicating that wait times from first appearance to trial could extend to around 2.5 years by the end of 2028 in certain jurisdictions.

Listing constraints are further exacerbated by limited judicial capacity, competition for courtrooms, and the availability of specialist advocates. In Scotland, for instance, government ministers have acknowledged the difficulty of delivering planned reforms, including a dedicated sexual offences court, amid resource pressures. While the Gill case is in England, the structural drivers—complex evidence, witness protections, and finite court slots—are shared across UK jurisdictions.

Prediction: how might this delay affect victims, defendants and public confidence?

For victims and witnesses, a 16-month extension to an already lengthy process can prolong uncertainty and emotional strain, potentially affecting engagement with the justice process. Support organisations have previously warned that long waits risk undermining victim confidence, with some describing the system as failing those who come forward.

For defendants, extended pre-trial periods on bail can impose significant personal and reputational consequences, even where the presumption of innocence applies. From a systemic perspective, repeated delays in high-profile categories such as sexual offences may erode public confidence in the timeliness and effectiveness of Crown Court justice unless listing capacity is expanded or case management reforms take hold.