Man charged over Blackburn mosque burglaries appears in court

The Masjide Noorul Mosque in Audley Range, Blackburn <i>(Image: Google Maps)</i>
The Masjide Noorul Mosque in Audley Range, Blackburn (Image: Google Maps)
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A man charged over burglaries at three Blackburn mosques this summer has appeared in court.

Anthony Chieke, 57, of Woburn Road, Kempston, Bedford, appeared at Preston Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on Tuesday (September 1).

Chieke is charged with burglary at the Masjide Noorul Mosque, the Masjid-e-Tauheedul Mosque, and the Jaame Mosque in Blackburn in July, as well as the Gujarati Sunni Muslim Society Mosque in Preston in August 2024.

He is also charged with dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified on the A421 in Bedford, and breaching a sexual offences prevention order, all in July.

Judge Paul Hodgkinson directed that Chieke, who was communicating through a Lipspeaker interpreter, would not be arraigned at the hearing on Tuesday.

A provisional future trial date was set for January 4, with an estimated length of one week.

A mention hearing will take place on September 15, and a further mention hearing will be on October 15.

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