Fleetwood: From the courts 18-05-16

A man stole more than £100 worth of food and drink when he went shoplifting from three shops.
Blackpool Magistrates CourtBlackpool Magistrates Court
Blackpool Magistrates Court

Anthony Goldrick, 43, of North Drive, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to three offences of theft.

He was sentenced to a six months community order with six months drug rehabilitation and ordered to live at his given address for 21 days plus pay £120 compensation by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

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Prosecutor, Jim Mowbray, said Goldrick stole four tubs of sweets valued at £20 from Tesco on January 5. On January 25 he took 11 rump and 10 sirloin steaks valued at £100 from the Co-op and on March 1 stole £23 worth of alcohol from the Co-op.

• A driver who crashed into the rear of another car one afternoon had drugs in his body.

Simon Richies, who was said to have used drugs for 20 years, was found with cocaine and a by-product of cocaine in his system.

Richies, a 38-year-old former docks worker, of Thornton Gate, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to two offences of driving with a controlled drug over the specified limit in his blood.

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He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, put on six months drug rehabilitation, ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work for the community and pay £85 costs with £60 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ 
Court.

Prosecutor, Jim Mowbray, said police were called to an accident where Richies Toyota had collided with the rear of another car at the junction of West Drive and Central Avenue North on January 16 at 3.25pm.

Richies appeared lethargic, pale and unsteady and paramedics were called. In the ambulance he kept falling asleep.

A blood test showed 17 units of cocaine in his body – the legal level is 10 and 906 units of Benzoylecgonine, a break-down product of cocaine, – the legal level is 50.

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Stephen Duffy, defending, told the judge his client, who had no previous convictions, said he had been using drugs on and off for 20 years.

• A mother-of-five illegally claimed more than £19,000 in benefits while working at a shoe shop and stores in the Fylde Coast area.

Irene Shute, who had been employed at Vernon Humpage shoe shop, the Co-op, The Spar and other companies, said she had found the benefits claim system confusing.

Shute, 73, of Lawsons Road, Thornton, pleaded guilty to three offences of dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstances.

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She was sentenced to a 12 months community order with 200 hours unpaid work for the community and ordered to pay £85 costs by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

The judge told her: “It is sad to see you in court. The money you were not entitled to is a significant sum.”

Prosecutor, Jim Mowbray, said over a period of 22 months from September 2012 to 2014 Shute illegally claimed a total of £19,315 in Pension Credit from the Department of Work and Pensions plus council tax and housing benefit from Wyre Borough Council by failing to disclose she was working.

Jessica Partington, defending, said her claim had not been fraudulent from the outset. She had found the benefits system very confusing and she had buried her head in the sand.

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• A man accused of benefit fraud involving £3,000 has made his first appearance at court.

Michael Martin, 56, of Consett Avenue, Cleveleys, pleaded not guilty to failing to notify a change in circumstances by claiming Employment Support Allowance while receiving a work pension.

The offence is alleged to have taken place between September 2014 and May last year.

Martin had his case adjourned for trial by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

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• A father turned to shoplifting after struggling to feed his partner and three children.

Ricky Taylor, 41, of Whinfield Avenue, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to theft.

He was sentenced to one month’s curfew from 8pm to 8am, fined £50 with £50 costs and ordered to pay £85 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Taylor was stopped outside Asda, Fleetwood, on April 11 after he was seen putting two bottles of alcohol valued at £47 inside his coat and walking out without paying.

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At the time of the offence he was on a suspended prison sentence for fly-tipping.

Steven Townley, defending, said the family was on benefits and sometimes money was tight. At the time if the offence Taylor had been struggling to afford food for the family.

• A man caused £150 damage to a police car after the officer driving it refused to find him a bed for the night.

Paul Quinn was drunk and had nowhere to go and hoped to get himself arrested when he called for the police.

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But when his request was refused he kicked out at the vehicle.

Quinn a father of three from Southfleet Place,Fleetwood admitted causing the damage at 2 am.

He was put on a 42 day curfew and had a month added to an existing suspended sentence order.

Jessica Partingto, defending said: “His attitude to life has improved and has re started contact with his children.He is also hoping to start work as a labourer.”

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• A woman contacted a court and said she had no money to get to the hearing because she had not received her benefits.

Selena Reed, 39, of Blakiston Street, Fleetwood, who is accused of stealing £50 from a woman in the port, had her case adjourned by Blackpool magistrates.

• A council worker was described as losing the plot when he attacked his girlfriend and another man believing something romantic was going on between them.

Jealous Darren Morris punched and tried to stamp on the other man and repeatedly hit his girlfriend before trying to bite her nose.

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He also hurled a tin of paint in his girlfriend’s Fleetwood home which burst open covering her and causing £300 worth of damage to carpets and wallpaper.

Morris, 36, of Eden Avenue, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to two offences of assault and one offence of damage.

He was sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment suspended for 12 months with up to 20 days rehabilitation, put on an eight weeks curfew from 10pm to 7am, ordered to pay compensation of £400 to his girlfriend and £200 to the man plus £85 costs with £115 victims’ surcharge.

Morris was also put on on a 12 months restraining order which bans him from contacting his girlfriend by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

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Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said the couple had been together 15 years and had three children. They had split-up but then agreed to give their relationship another try.

They went out together, but did not live together.

On May 14 at 10.25am Morris arrived at his girlfriend’s home.

Another man, who had brought a phone to the girlfriend, was there.

Morris fought him in the garden, tripped him up, tried to stamp on him, pushed his motorbike over and chased him as he ran to his father’s home. The man did not fight back.

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Morris called his wife a “slag” and threatened to kill her.

He pushed her over, knelt on her chest, punched her, attempted to bite her nose and threw the paint can.

Gary McAnulty, defending, said the night before Morris saw his girlfriend and the other man texting on their phones at a nightspot.

He thought something was going on between and took her bag which contained her mobile, so he could check the phone.

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The next morning he “lost the plot” when he went round to his girlfriend’s home and saw the other man there.

Morris denied trying to stamp on the man and said he only pushed his girlfriend away when she tried to intervene.

• The owner of a hairdressing salon endangered road users when he yanked on the handbrake of his wife’s car during an argument.

Gary Walsh’s behaviour caused the Fiat 500 to spin 90 degrees and end up on the opposite side of the road.

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The couple had been arguing about Walsh’s drinking and after sending the car spinning he got out and stamped on his wife’s mobile phone.

Walsh, 39, of Rixton Avenue, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to interfering with a motor vehicle in a manner which caused danger and causing damage.

He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 15 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work for the community and told to pay £145 compensation with £85 costs plus £60 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said the couple had been in a relationship for six months and then married. Walsh’s wife said it lasted for six months before they separated because of his drinking.

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After a long time apart they got back together again. Walsh’s wife had three children from a previous relationship and she said she would not tolerate him drinking around the children.

On April 24 she agreed to pick him up from Poulton, but said he stank of alcohol and there was an argument. Walsh then grabbed the handbrake and yanked, spinning the car. His wife said she was in shock afterwards.

When interviewed Walsh said he had drunk three pints and denied pulling the handbrake.

Brett Chappell, defending, said Walsh was disgusted with himself and had pleaded guilty immediately.

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He had a drink problem and admitted drink had caused him to act irrationally.

He had been given an ultimatum by his wife that unless his behaviour improved regarding drinking their relationship had no future.