Key Points
- Amie Darbyshire, 32, from High Street, Golborne, has been sent to Liverpool Crown Court after being charged with robbery.
- The charge against her relates to robbing a woman of a Samsung Galaxy S24+ mobile phone on 8th April 2024.
- The case has been sent to Liverpool Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing from Wigan Magistrates’ Court.
- The next hearing date has been set for November 4.
- The defendant has been remanded on unconditional bail.
- The charges against her have not yet been proved at a trial, and no plea has yet been taken in crown court.
Wigan Crime (Manchester Mirror) October 15, 2026 — A Wigan woman accused of robbing another woman of a mobile phone is due to appear before Liverpool Crown Court after magistrates sent the case to the higher court.
What is Amie Darbyshire accused of?
As reported by Gaynor Clarke of Wigan Today, Amie Darbyshire, 32, of High Street, Golborne, is charged with robbing a woman of a Samsung Galaxy S24+ mobile phone. The alleged offence is said to have taken place on April 8, 2024.
The charge relates to robbery, an indictable-only offence in England and Wales. This means that, once a case is sent from the magistrates’ court, it must be dealt with at crown court rather than being tried summarily by magistrates.
It is important to distinguish between an allegation and a finding of guilt. The court listing reported by Wigan Today confirms that Darbyshire is accused of the offence; it does not record a conviction or a plea.
Why is the case going to crown court?
Wigan magistrates sent the matter to Liverpool Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing. Such hearings allow a defendant to indicate a plea and enable the court to manage the timetable for any future trial.
The decision to send the case upwards follows the standard route for robbery allegations. Although magistrates conduct initial procedural stages in many criminal matters, robbery is among the offences that fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Crown Court for trial.
The next scheduled hearing is on November 4. At that stage, the defendant may be asked to enter a plea, while the court and prosecution can address directions needed before trial.
What bail conditions apply?
Darbyshire was remanded on unconditional bail, according to Wigan Today.
Unconditional bail means that the court has not imposed specific reporting, residence, curfew, contact, or other restrictions beyond the general legal requirement to attend future hearings. The report does not state whether any other conditions were discussed or considered.
Bail is not a determination of guilt or innocence. It is a procedural decision about whether a defendant may remain in the community while criminal proceedings continue.
When and where is the next hearing?
The case is due before Liverpool Crown Court on November 4 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.
That hearing is expected to establish the procedural path of the case. If a not-guilty plea is indicated, the court can set directions for evidence, witnesses, legal argument and trial scheduling. If a guilty plea is entered, the case would instead move towards sentencing.
No trial date was reported in the court listing published by Wigan Today.
What does the charge involve?
The allegation concerns the robbery of a Samsung Galaxy S24+ mobile phone. Wigan Today reported that the alleged victim was a woman and that the incident allegedly occurred on April 8, 2024.
Robbery under English law involves theft together with the use or threat of force in order to steal. The precise circumstances alleged in this case have not been set out in the published court report, and no further detail about the alleged incident was included in the source article.
The prosecution would need to prove the elements of the offence to the criminal standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt if the case proceeds to trial.
Background of the development
The case was reported by Wigan Today journalist Gaynor Clarke in an article published on October 15, 2026, at 12:30 BST. The report stated that a Wigan woman was in the dock accused of robbing a woman of her mobile phone.
According to the report, Darbyshire appeared following proceedings at Wigan Magistrates’ Court, which sent the case to Liverpool Crown Court. The publication identified the defendant as Amie Darbyshire, aged 32, of High Street, Golborne.
The reported charge concerns an alleged offence dated April 8, 2024, involving a Samsung Galaxy S24+ mobile phone. The court listing did not provide details of the investigation, the identity of the complainant, or any evidence said to support the allegation.
The case remains at an early procedural stage. A plea and trial preparation hearing is not a trial, and no findings of fact have been made public in the reported listing.
Prediction: how could this affect local residents?
For Wigan and Golborne residents, the development is likely to be followed mainly by those concerned with local crime reporting and court proceedings. If the case proceeds to a trial, further public reporting may depend on the evidence heard in open court and any reporting restrictions imposed by the judge.
For the alleged victim, the proceedings may determine whether the allegation is formally tested and whether any eventual outcome includes a conviction, acquittal, or other court decision. For the defendant, the November hearing will be significant because it may clarify whether she pleads guilty or not guilty and how quickly the case can be prepared for trial.
For the wider community, the case highlights the routine role of local magistrates’ courts in sending serious criminal allegations to crown court. It does not, on the information currently published, indicate a broader pattern of offending or any wider public-safety issue.
