Blackpool Magistrates Court cases and convictions in week up to January 23, 2023

Taxi driver banned from road

A taxi driver was verbally aggressive and at one stage tried to drive off when police suspected him of drunk driving in the early hours of Christmas Day .

Blackpool Magistrates heard how officers dealing with another incident in St Annes town centre were tipped off that 54-year-old John Peters had been drinking and was about to drive .

They watched Peters, of Glen Eldon Road, get into his Vauxhall and drive away with a passenger.

He was followed and failed to stop when signalled by police. When he did stop, he became verbally aggressive and refused to be breath tested at the roadside and later at the police station.

He admitted failing to provide a sample and told the hearing: “It was early on Christmas Day and I panicked."

Peters was ordered to pay £901 in fines and costs and was banned from driving for two years.

Sex offender accused of deleting internet history

A child sex offender was accused of trying to hide his internet search history from police.

Charlie Oliver, 33, of Tithebarn Place, Poulton pleaded not guilty to using a private browser and to deleting internet access history.

He was jailed for 11 years in 2011 for committing a sex offence against an 11 year old child, and for 20 months in 2014 for possessing indecent images.

He is subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order restricting his contact with children.

He elected trial at Preston Crown Court when he appeared at Blackpool Magistrates Court and will appear at the higher court on Friday, February 17.

Oliver was remanded in custody in the meantime.

Woman on harassment charges

A 64-year-old Blackpool woman has denied harassment said to have taken place over a three month period.

Linda Wilson, of North Park Drive, is alleged to have harassed another woman from Lytham St Annes by sending messages and attending the alleged victim's address.

Blackpool Magistrates fixed her trial for Thursday, May 18.

Man admits growing cannabis

A Blackpool man has admitted growing cannabis at his home on a commercial basis.

Punjab Singh, 59, of Greenbriar Close, admitted growing sixty plants when he appeared before Blackpool Magistrates.

He was bailed and sent for sentence at Preston Crown Court where he will appear on Friday, March 3.

Babysitter attacked

A 28-year-old man assaulted the woman who was babysitting his partner's child.

Andrew Kragh returned to the woman's house in a drunken state after a row with the partner.

Blackpool Magistrates Court heard how Kragh, of Bispham Road, Blackpool, reacted after he thought he was going to be attacked.

He admitted causing injuries to his victim's face and arms.

The 28-year-old was given a community punishment with 20 rehabilitation days and forty hours unpaid work.

He must also pay his victim £350 compensation.

Pensioner admits child sex offences

A 79-year-old man has admitted child sex offences.

John Mills, of Brierfield Road, Poulton was put on the Sex Offenders Register at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

Mills admitted possessing over 1,300 pornographic pictures of children, some of the worst level.

He also admitted making extreme pornographic images.

He was sent for sentence at Preston Crown Court on Monday, March 6.

Police raid home and find cannabis stash

Police who raided a woman's home allegedly found commercial amounts of cannabis including sweets infused with cannabis oil.

Sinead Dewar, 34, formerly of Coopers Way and now of Gateside Drive, Blackpool, appeared before Blackpool Magistrates.

She did not enter a plea and was sent for trial at Preston Crown Court where she will appear on Tuesday, February 14.

She is charged with possessing cannabis with a street value of up to £8,000 and intent to supply.

She was bailed.

Taxi queue jumping row

A Blackpool man has admitted being drunk and disorderly.

Jason Connolly, 49, of Clifton Crescent was fined £141 by the town's magistrates.

The court heard he was arrested after police attended an argument over queue jumping for taxis in Poulton.

Blackpool man breached court order

A young Blackpool man failed to attend any of the thirty rehabilitation days imposed by a court.

Ajay Wilkinson, 18, of Palatine Road, admitted breaching the order imposed by Blackburn Magistrates in November last year.

After failing to comply with the terms of the order, Wilkinson was arrested at his new address in the resort.

Blackpool Magistrates adjourned proceedings until Thursday, March 2 to tie in with him returning to the court on a separate, deferred sentence.

Drug addict thief spared jail

A Blackpool man used a piece of concrete to smash a clothes shop door in the early hours of the morning.

Craig Carter, 53, of Chesterfield Road, broke into the ‘Bang’ shop in Adelaide Street West and stole over £400 worth of clothes.

Police were alerted and officers discovered the shop’s glass door smashed before later finding Carter hiding in a recess.

He was wearing a hat with a price tag still on it and other clothes were found nearby.

Carter was trying hard to overcome a drug problem, said his lawyer Brett Chappell at the hearing.

He was given a twenty week jail term suspended for a year.

Town centre takeaway assault

A man has been sent for Crown Court trial accused of assaulting two other men in a Blackpool town centre takeaway.

Matthew Richardson, 38, of Raymond Avenue, Blackpool did not enter pleas to charges of causing his alleged victim actual bodily harm and the other grievous bodily harm.

He was bailed by Blackpool Magistrates to appear at the higher court on Tuesday, February 14.

Blackpool tourist hands himself into police

A 48-year-old man bumped into a Blackpool police officer and confessed, "I think there may be a warrant out for my arrest."

David Kenny should have turned up in Worcester to face charges of being drunk and disorderly and racially aggravated harassment of a police officer who had arrested him for causing a commotion outside a Worcester pub.

Kenny has now admitted both offences at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

He was bailed for pre-sentence reports after magistrates heard he had a drink problem.

He gave his address as Charleville Road, Birmingham.

Teenager smashes care home windows

A young Blackpool man wearing all black and wearing a balaclava smashed in £300 worth of windows at a Care in the Community home.

Dylan Ward committed the offence over two years ago and has only just been arrested, Blackpool Magistrates heard.

Ward, 18, formerly of Westmorland Avenue is now of no fixed address.

He was given a one year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £300 compensation after he admitted criminal damage.

The court heard he damaged the windows using a metal pole.

His lawyer Stephen Duffy said he had been sofa surfing ever since.

Man jailed for threatening ex

A man committed what Blackpool Magistrates Court heard were deliberate and persistent breaches of a restraining order designed to protect his former partner.

Dwayne Greenwood, 30, of Penrose Avenue, Blackpool was jailed for ten months.

Greenwood, who was on licence from prison at the time, continually phoned his victim and threatened her.

He once told her: “I am coming off tag. See what happens next."

District Judge Paul Conlon told Greenwood the calls had caused the woman anguish and the defendant had also breached his community punishment order.

Greenwood was ordered to pay his victim £187 compensation.

Banned motorist caught drink drinking

A Fleetwood man has had sentencing of his case adjourned because he faces hospital admission.

Blackpool Magistrates adjourned Darren Ethell's hearing until Thursday, February 9.

He has pleaded guilty to disqualified driving, driving without insurance and drink driving.

The court heard Ethell, 44, of Gregson Drive, had not been interviewed for a previous sentence report because of hospital appointments.

Car window smashed after family row

A man broke a car window causing £250 worth of damage, Blackpool Magistrates heard.

Matthew Cornmell, 43, of Central Drive, Blackpool admitted criminal damage.

He was fined £80 and must pay £250 compensation.

The court heard it was a reckless act of retaliation caused by a verbal exchange earlier in the day over a family matter with the car owner.

Biscuit worker handed driving ban

A biscuit company worker has been banned from driving for a year.

David Brock, 35, of Links Road, Blackpool admitted drug driving.

Blackpool Magistrates heard that police saw Brock speeding along Lytham Road in the early hours.

Officers stopped his car and smelled cannabis which was confirmed by a drugs wipe.

Brock was also ordered to pay £314 in fines and costs.

Banned driver caught behind the wheel

A man was caught behind the wheel of a van despite having two months of a driving ban still to run.

Billy Sanderson thought the ban was over but Blackpool Magistrates heard he was mistaken.

Sanderson was on his way to holiday in Blackpool from his home on South Meadow Lane, Preston when he was caught on the A583 at Kirkham.

The 32-year-old admitted disqualified driving and having no insurance.

He must pay £505 in fines and costs and had six points added to his licence.

The court heard that Sanderson thought his ban had been reduced by thirty percent but that referred to unpaid work.

Police chase teen driver who was going double the speed limit

A young man lost his patience with other drivers on Christmas Eve, Blackpool Magistrates heard.

Harvey Webb, 18, of Wharton Avenue, Thornton reached speeds of 80mph in Garstang Road West – a 40mph zone in Poulton.

One of the cars he sped passed was a police car, which gave chase to the teenager.

When he was pulled over by police, he admitted speeding saying he had grown impatient with slower drivers and had decided to overtake.

He admitted driving without due care when he appeared at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

Webb was fined and ordered to pay costs totalling £253. Six penalty points were also added onto his licence.

Man was three times the limit when pulled over by police

What was supposed to be a happy family reunion ended up in driving chaos for one man.

Police saw Michael Lowe braking heavily, swerving and following the vehicle in front of him too closely.

After being pulled over by officers, he then drove off again before finally halting on Queensway in St Annes, Blackpool Magistrates heard.

Lowe, 38, of Edgemoor, Bowden, Manchester admitted drink driving whilst behind the wheel of his Audi A7.

A roadside breath test found he was almost three times over the legal limit.

The court heard how he attended a family reunion in St Annes which began amicably but ended in acrimony.

He decided to leave and sleep at his parents ' home in St Annes, but foolishly decided to drive.

Magistrates asked for pre-sentence reports to be prepared on Lowe.

Drunk van driver crashes into neighbours wall

A drunk driver reversed his van and knocked down his neighbour’s garden wall and gate on New Years Day.

Blackpool Magistrates heard how Mark Fee, 54, of Sharrow Grove, Blackpool, was trying to drive away from the scene when he was approached by the neighbour who heard the impact.

She confronted Fee over what he had done and claimed he simply answered, "Did I?"

Fee then returned to his home and took his dog for a walk before police found him.

He admitted drink driving and his lawyer Andrew Nottingham said: “He is totally ashamed and he has made sure the damage he caused has been repaired."

"He is self employed and the driving disqualification will hit him hard."

Fee was ordered to pay £645 in fines and costs and was banned from driving for 23 months.