Councillors denying affray and assault charges won’t face trial until 2029

Two councillors who deny affray and assault charges over an incident in Cradley Heath will not stand trial until 2029.

Sandwell councillors Daniel Millard and Claire Mayo are not expected to stand trial until July 23, 2029 for their alleged part in an incident in Surfeit Hill Road, Cradley Heath, in the early hours of July 20 last year.

The pair, who both denied separate assault and affray charges at Dudley Magistrates Court last month, will next appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on April 14 where they will again be asked to enter a plea following a request to delay the arraignment. 

Co-defendant Mitchel Weston pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and a charge of affray over his alleged involvement on July 20 last year when he appeared for a plea and trial preparation hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday 24th March. 

Kelsea Stott also pleaded not guilty to one charge of sending an electronic message with intent to cause distress and one charge of aiding an affray over the same incident. 

Millard and Mayo did not enter pleas at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday after Blaise Morris, representing the pair, told the court he believed they should be represented separately to avoid any potential conflicts and asked for the arraignment of the two councillors to be delayed until April. 

A ten-day trial involving the four is due to start on July 23, 2029. 

Recorder Rupert Jones apologised to the accused for the three-year delay saying it was “unreasonable” and because of a “significant backlog” in the courts.

Last month, Daniel Millard, 43, pleaded not guilty to one count of affray, another count of aiding an affray and one count of assault by beating and Claire Mayo, 40, pleaded not guilty to two counts of affray and two counts of assault by beating.

Both councillors were suspended by the Labour Party following the incident but remain as independent councillors on Sandwell Council.

Millard, a former cabinet member at the Labour-run authority, has represented the Blackheath ward since 2015 and Mayo represents the Rowley ward having been elected in 2022.