Midcheshire Independent Issue 196

5 SEPTEMBER 2026 Visit our website: www.independentnewspapers.co.uk CHESHIRE East Council has given the go-ahead for an additional 20 tour- ing pitches for caravans at Coole Acres Fish- ery and Leisure Park near Nantwich. The site on Coole Lane at Newhall forms part of an exist- ing fishery and angling centre. Over the years it has devel- oped and now compromises fishing lakes, hatchery pools, café/reception building and hatchery storage and mainte- nance building. It also already has existing holiday lodges, licensed caravan and camping site, access tracks, car park- ing area and service areas. The report from the coun- cil’s planning officer states: “As this proposal seeks to expand the existing enter- prise within the existing fishery, it is considered that the location of the pro- posal justifies this open countryside location rather than relocating the existing enterprise, and the use is clearly intrinsically linked with the countryside and the wider enterprise.” The permission, which was granted by planning officers under delegated powers, also includes the erection of an amenity block and ancil- lary works. THE self-proclaimed ‘Kardashian of Cheshire’ who posed as a million- aire to con his family and friends out of £200,000 in a Hermes handbag scam has had his jail sentence appeal thrown out. ‘Deluded’ influencer Jack Watkin, 26, was jailed for six years last year at Chester Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to a string of fraud charges and sexual offences, including against a child. But at London’s Appeal Court, Royal Courts of Jus- tice, Watkin’s barrister Miss R Caulfield argued the sen- tence was ‘excessive’ due to his autism diagnosis. She said this was due to the fact that the judge who over- saw his case had failed to take it into account. Miss Caulfield also cited his “immaturity’ and various other matters mentioned in the mitigation, including the ‘fact that some money had been paid back’. Miss Caulfield also ques- tioned the chronology of the indecent image offences and also raised that Watkins’ age and autism were not ‘insuffi- ciently taken into account in considering the sentence’. But the argument was dis- missed by the appeal court judges Lord Justice Foxton, Mr Justice Goose, and Judge De Bertodano. They said his medical report, which dealt with the diagnosis, was ‘expressly referred to’ and that they were “satisfied” that the judge ‘plainly took’ all issues ‘into account’. In a written judgement they said: “The judge referred to the mitigating features of the applicant’s good char- acter, his medical diagnosis and his age. We are satisfied that he plainly took them into account. “Like the single judge, we are satisfied that none of these grounds is arguable. “The judge expressly referred to Dr Asher’s report which dealt with the appli- cant’s medical diagnosis. “He noted that while the Pitches approved The self-proclaimed ‘Kardashian of Cheshire’ who posed as a millionaire to con his family and friends out of £200,000 has had his sentence appeal thrown out (Image: Cheshire Police) ‘Kardashian of Cheshire’ loses sentence appeal ‘Deluded’ influencer conned friends and family out of £200,000 diagnosis of autism might have affected the applicant’s ability to fully understand the effect of his behaviour on oth- ers, it did not excuse it. “Hav ing specif ically referred to the report, we are fully satisfied that the judge took into account the applicant’s diagnosis when he passed sentence. “Standing back, and taking into account everything that Ms Caulfield has said on the applicant’s behalf, the result- ant sentence cannot be said to be manifestly excessive.” The court heard he splashed stolen cash in Harrods to fund his ‘rich-kid’ lifestyle as well as a five-star London hotel The Dorchester, where he racked up an eye-watering bill of around £130,000. Shocking images show lux- ury items Waktin also bought with the money including Versace crockery, Chanel and Louis Vuitton shoes, and Dolce & Gabbana clothes. The wicked liar would gain his victims’ trust by telling them he had contacts that could provide access to exclu- sive Hermes handbags and that they could split the prof- its made on resale, a Crown court was told. After they never received a bag or monetary return for their investment for they asked for their money back – but he always had excuses. Watkin, formerly of Wilmslow Road, Alderley Edge, was sentenced at Ches- ter Crown Court in Octo- ber 2025. On the second day of the trial – he pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud by false representation in the scam worth over £195,000. The judge imposed a sen- tence of four years and six months’ imprisonment for the offences of fraud. He was also previously found guilty of a string of child sex offences including one count of possession of a prohibited image of a child, possession of an indecent photograph of a child, and two more counts of making an indecent image of a child. He was also found guilty of one count of possession of indecent photographs, three counts of making indecent images, and one count of possession of extreme por- nographic images. He was given a consecutive term of 18 months’ impris- onment for the indecent image offences. Watkin – who appeared in Channel 4 documentary Rich Kids Of Instagram in 2016 – was jailed for a total of six years. CARD SUBJECT TO CHANGE. * BOOKING FEE APPLIES THE STOCKPORT PLAZA SATURDAY 10 TH OCTOBER 2026 Show time at 6.30pm / Tickets: 0161 477 7779 * WWW.STOCKPORTPLAZA.CO.UK * THE STOCKPORT PL A ZA , MERSE Y SQUARE , STOCKPORT SK1 1SP WWW. FACEBOOK .COM/STOCKPORTPL A Z AWRESTL ING WRESTLING