| abstract | - Carl Redfern was a ne'er-do-well mate of Steve McDonald's involved with stolen car radios in December 1991. Alf Roberts had two car radios stolen from his vehicle in a two-week period and later discovered that the first one had been sold to Derek and Mavis Wilton by Steve, who'd told them that their new radio had come from a wrecked car. Although hesitant, Alf was persuaded by wife Audrey to report the incident to the police. Steve was duly arrested and questioned by DC Chapman at Weatherfield Police Station, but remained tight-lipped and refused to give the names of the actual thieves. A distraught Liz McDonald tried to persuade her son to tell the police who else was involved, but he initially refused to get anybody else in trouble. Eventually, it was twin brother Andy who gave the names Carl Redfern, Stuart Cunliffe, Scott Mason, Micky Robinson and Craig Wilson. Steve was called back to the police station where the McDonalds ran into Redfern again who'd made threatening remarks to Steve as he left the station following interview. DC Chapman informed Steve that twelve car radios had been recovered from Redfern alone which had been proven to be stolen goods. Again, refusing to snitch, Steve concocted a story that he'd received the radio he'd sold to the Wiltons from a scrapyard, although Chapman saw through this and charged him with handling stolen goods. A week later, having all been charged by police, the gang started menacing Steve and after hanging around in the ginnel, followed him and girlfriend Victoria Arden to the Cine City cinema in Manchester. Having paid to watch the film showing on screen 3, Steve and Vicky managed to leave via the fire exit and gave the gang the slip as they were waiting around the front of the building. Having failed in their attempt to exact revenge on Steve, the gang spotted Andy leaving the video shop in the Queens Shopping Precinct later in the evening and set about him, after Andy revealed that he was the one who'd shopped them. The case was heard at City Magistrates Court during January 1992, but Steve was the only one to face the court as the police dropped the case against Redfern due to "inconsistencies". Steve was fined £100.
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