Blackpool: From the courts 27-10-16

Clifford Kirkham, 76, breach of a pet banning order

A lonely old man has had his only companion taken from him by order of a court.

Clifford Kirkham, 76, had a cocker spaniel dog in defiance of a previous 10 year pet banning order imposed by Blackpool Magistrates in 2014.

Kirkham who lives alone in Norcliffe Road, Blackpool told magistrates: “I have lost my dog and two cats I was looking after for a woman have been taken.

“Now I have no cats there are mice coming in. Are these animals going to be taken away too?”

Kirkham, who lives on £220 pension credit a week, admitted breaching the previous order.

Magistrates ordered the cocker spaniel be taken from him.

Kyra Badman, prosecuting for the RSPCA, told the court a dog warden had noticed the spaniel living at Kirkham’s home.

As a result the RSPCA went to house and found the dog – which was smelly and had fleas.

Gerry Coyle, defending, said that Kirkham was an ‘extremely lonely old man’ who was unkempt and bedraggled in appearance.

“He does not remember getting any paperwork about the 2014 10-year banning order which related to another dog,” he told the court. “His home is not in a good state – it is like something from the TV programme “Hoarders. He should really be being looked after but he is not. The only reason he has animals is loneliness.”

Matthew McGlynn, 30, sending a menacing message via a public communication network

A man phoned his former partner and threatened to kill her and her boyfriend.

Matthew McGlynn, a father of two, left his ex worried about what he might do to her and the children, a court was told.

McGlynn, 30, of Crooklands Crescent, Hambleton, pleaded guilty to sending a menacing message via a public communication network.

Prosecutor, Andrea Fawcett, said McGlynn had made a phone call to his previous partner on October 21 and said: “I’m going to kill you and your boyfriend.”

She did not believe he would kill them but was worried about what he might do to her and the children.

At the time of the offence, McGlynn was on a suspended prison sentence for possessing cannabis with intent to supply the drug.

Peter Cave, defending, said McGlynn and his ex had been together 16 years and had only split-up in July this year. They had two children aged 10 and 15 who he saw every day.

McGlynn had mental health problems and had been waiting for six months to be tested to see if he had Bipolar disorder, the court heard.

McGlynn was bailed to appear for sentence on November 23 at Preston Crown Court by Blackpool magistrates. He must not contact his ex and must only arrange contact with the children through a third party as conditions of his bail.

Marcus Seddon, 18, five thefts

A teenager stole almost £500 of whisky and vodka from shops on the Fylde coast.

Marcus Seddon either drank the booze himself, or sold it to pay to fund a drug habit.

Seddon, 18, of Osborne Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to five offences of theft and asked for five similar offences to be considered.

Pam Smith, prosecuting, said Seddon stole more than £400 of alcohol from Sainsbury’s, Booths and Aldi in Lytham and St Annes and also Burlington’s Food and Booze, Blackpool, between October 15 and 21.

Mitch Sarangi, defending, said Seddon had a limited record for shoplifting. He had been doing well but recently had started to drink and take heroin.

Seddon was sentenced to a 12-month community order with up to 25 days’ rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, put on six months’ drug rehabilitation, fined £20 and ordered to pay £499 compensation by Blackpool magistrates.

Fakhrul Islam, 28, breach of a community order

A man who failed to carry out payback work helping out at an animal charity shop was described by a magistrate as “wilfully frustrating a court order.”

Fakhrul Islam, a restaurant bar and IT worker, 28, of Hardhorn Road, Poulton, pleaded guilty to breaching a community order.

He was sentenced to six months’ prison suspended for 12 months, and ordered to do 100 hours’ unpaid work for the community.

Presiding magistrate, Eileen Oldroyd, told him: “You put in sick notes for lower back pain and yet you work in a bar from 6pm to 1am. That does not bode well with us and we consider you are wilfully frustrating the order.”

Neal Brookes, prosecuting, said Islam had been sentenced to an order to do 120 hours’ unpaid work for driving while disqualified without insurance.

Islam was first allocated to group work but after he sent in sick notes about having lower back pain he was given lighter duties to work in the PDSA charity shop.

He had failed to attend work appointments at the shop and completed only 41-and-a-half hours of work. It was his second breach of the order.

Ann-Marie Bradwell, 38, assault

A woman accused of assaulting a police officer in a garden has denied the charge.

Ann-Marie Bradwell, 38, of Southfleet Avenue, Fleetwood, pleaded not guilty to assault and had her case adjourned for trial by Blackpool magistrates.

Paul Fitton, 35, theft and drunk and disorderly

A man who had struggled with an alcohol problem throughout his adult life broke into a car to steal to fund his habit.

Paul Fitton, 35, of Clinton Avenue, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to theft and being drunk and disorderly.

He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with 60 hours unpaid work for the community and ordered to pay £157 compensation by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said a woman found two windows on her car had been smashed and some coins, a phone charger and a satellite navigation system charger had been stolen on August 3.

Blood at the scene was tested by forensic scientists and found to match Fitton’s. He told police he could not remember committing the crime but he was an alcoholic and it was the type of thing he would do when drunk.

On October 8 at 12.45pm police were called to the Hounds Hill Shopping Centre where Fitton was causing a disturbance.

He told officers: “I will bite your faces off.” The area was busy with families and Fitton was arrested after he started shouting threats at passersby.

Brett Chappell, defending, said his client, who was on licence from a prison sentence, wanted to apologise to everyone concerned.

Mr Chappell added: “At the time of the offences he was drinking copious amounts of cider. He has now massively reduced his alcohol intake and has been accepted on a residential detoxification course.”