Armed siege pair cleared of robbery but face sentence…

Armed siege pair cleared of robbery but face sentence for affray

Two people who were arrested following an armed police siege are to be sentenced next month for affray after being acquitted of robbery at trial.

Callum Kerr, 32, of Partington Square, Runcorn, and Rachel Bates, 38, of The Uplands, Runcorn, were released on conditional bail on Friday to appear at Chester Crown Court on March 17. Jurors sitting last week found the pair not guilty of robbery over an incident alleged to have taken place in Widnes at about 10.45am on the day of the siege on Thursday, August 18, last year.

Kerr and Bate were arrested late on August 18 after refusing to emerge from a bungalow on The Uplands in Palacefields, Runcorn. Residents watched the stand-off from beyond the safety cordons as police in tactical gear trained guns at the single-storey dwelling and negotiators tried to coax them out.

Kerr emerged first, shortly before 11pm.

He was bare-chested and placed against an unmarked police SUV for handcuffs to be secured, followed by Bates.

Jurors heard allegations that Kerr had “slapped” mutual acquaintance Adam Watson at an address on Lacey Street in Widnes earlier that day and stolen his trainers and £10 cash, and Bates had assisted by slapping Watson and also tried to yank a handbag from a second complainant Karen Yardley.

Mr Watson gave evidence via video link and said Kerr “slapped” him and told him to take off his “shoes”.

He said he didn’t resist because he had been “slapped about” and alleged that Kerr had shown him a “meat cleaver” earlier on.

Mr Watson claimed that when Kerr left, Bates “gave me a slap” and asked “do you know who I am?”

Michael Scholes, defending Kerr, probed Mr Watson about only knowing Kerr by his first name, and asked about knowing anyone with similar names, with Mr Watson replying he “was getting people mixed up”.

Mr Watson said that during the "commotion" when he followed after them to ask where his shoes were before they "drove off", he told the court: "They said they were in the bin."

Following a trial from Wednesday afternoon to Friday, jurors found Kerr not guilty of robbery and Bates not guilty of robbery and attempted robbery.

The jury was not made aware that Kerr and Bates were arrested at the culmination of an armed siege on August 18, nor about the other charges.

The scene on The Uplands in Runcorn on August 18. (runcornweeklynews)

Kerr had previously pleaded guilty on August 22 to common assault of an emergency worker, namely a police officer, and affray, with the incidents occurring on August 19 and 18 respectively.

Bates had pleaded guilty to affray.

The case was adjourned for sentence on March 17.

The court heard Bates and Kerr knew each other via intermediary relatives.