He admitted 19 offences
The leader of a Bolton grooming gang has admitted a string of rape and sex offences involving five under-age girls.Ashley Darbyshire was due to stand trial today (Mon) at Liverpool Crown Court but changed his plea this morning and admitted a total of 19 offences.28-year-old Darbyshire, of Bolton Road, Westhoughton, is to be sentenced at a later date along with eight other members of the gang who were convicted of sex offences in February after a three month trial.They are all remanded in custody but because of his medical condition – he has had a stroke – and his guilty pleas, Judge Simon Medland, KC, further remanded him on bail with conditions including an electronically monitored curfew between 6 – 6 pm.But he warned him, “However a substantial custodial sentence is inevitable in your case.“I heard a great deal of evidence in the first trial about your conduct and how it led to other offences in part.”Darbyshire, who has closely cropped hair, pleaded guilty to two offences of raping an under-age girl – one offence occurring while she tied up in a bedroom and before another defendant raped her – and ten offences of sexual activity with her when she was aged between 13 and 15 in the Blackrod area.He also admitted raping another under-age girl and inciting her to engage in sexual activity; inciting another girl to engage in sexual activity and two offences of sexual activity with a fourth victim and inciting her to engage in sexual activity.Darbyshire, who was allowed to sit in the dock while entering his pleas because of his health, additionally pleaded guilty to making Category C indecent images of another girl.