Blackpool: From the courts 03-08-17

Cheryl Steele, 37, drunk and disorderly, criminal damage

A woman scratched her name into a cell door at Blackpool police HQ,.

Cheryl Steele used an acrylic fingernail to do the damage. Steele, , 37, of Station Road, Wesham, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and causing damage.

She was given a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £50 costs with £20 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police went to Melbourne Avenue, Bispham, on July 2 at 7pm, after complaints Steele was threatening people.

She was drunk and refused to let police give her a lift home. She continued shouting and swearing, was arrested and once in a cell scratched her name in the door.

Brett Chappell, defending, said Steele had once been addicted to heroin but she had combatted her drug problem and kept out of trouble for five years.

Here is Wednesday’s round-up of cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court 02-08-17

Charlie Kenyon, 19, drink-driving

A university student was almost three times over the alcohol limit when he drove round looking to buy cigarettes.

Charlie Kenyon then asked police not to arrest him as the roads were quiet at the time.

Kenyon, a 19-year-old part-time market researcher, of Moss House Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was sentenced to do 15 hours at an attendance centre, disqualified from driving for 23 months and ordered to pay £85 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police received information from shop staff who suspected the driver of a Corsa was drunk on July 4 at 3.40am.

Police saw the car on the forecourt of the Esso service station, Preston New Road. A breath test showed 94 micrograms of alcohol in Kenyon’s body – 35 is the limit.

Kenyon told police: “I was driving around looking for cigarettes. Come on don’t arrest me – it’s not as if the roads are busy.”

Brett Chappell, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, was embarrassed and remorseful over what he had done.

Kenyon did not normally drink to excess and could not answer why he had decided to drive.

James Scott, 20, possession of cannabis

A man was found with drugs on him after police stopped him in Fleetwood.

James Scott, 20, of Bold Street, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis.

He was given a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 costs plus £20 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police spoke to Scott on July 6 about 1am, and he volunteered he had a small bag of cannabis.

Beau Hogarth, 34, drunk and disorderly, resisting arrest

A construction worker arrested after being seen fighting outside Blackpool’s Flagship Bar, on New Bonny Street, refused to put his leg inside the police van cage so he could be taken to custody.

Beau Hogarth said he had pleaded with officers not to arrest him because a group of men were again making race hate remarks towards his girlfriend and her mother.

Hogarth, 34, of Bowlingfield, Ingol, Preston, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and resisting police.

He was fined £230 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Hogarth was seen fighting outside the Flagship Bar on July 1, and was arrested.

Once in the police van, he repeatedly blocked the closure of the secure cage door with his foot and once at the station was aggressive and swore at officers.

At the time of the offence he was on a suspended prison sentence order.

Brett Chappell, defending, said his client was on a night out with his girlfriend and her mother who were Slovakian.

They were subjected to race hate remarks from a group of men. Hogarth intervened and was assaulted.

The police saw the tail end of the incident and arrested Hogarth. He then saw the group were racially abusing his girlfriend and her mum again. He pleaded with police not to arrest him and resisted because he wanted to help the women.

Aaron Harper, 29, causing injury by dangerous driving, taking vehicle without consent, driving while banned and with no insurance

A driver accused of seriously injuring a 67-year-old grandmother when he collided with her on a service station forecourt has made his first appearance at court.

Aaron Harper is alleged to have driven across Fleetwood’s Westview Shell station forecourt at speed hitting the grandmother who was carried along on the bonnet and then flung to the ground.

She is said to have suffered a ruptured spleen, three fractures to her left leg and a broken hand and needed surgery.

Harper, 29, a ground worker, of Southfleet Avenue, Fleetwood, is charged with causing serious injury to the woman by driving dangerously.

He is also accused of taking his former girlfriend’s Vauxhall Astra without her consent and driving it while banned from the road without insurance.

The offences are alleged to have taken place on July 29.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, asked for the case to be heard at crown court and opposed bail for Harper.

Defence lawyer, Howard Green, said his client would not indicate a plea to the offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving at that stage.

Harper was refused bail and remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court on August 30.

Dean Elliott, 25, drink-driving, no insurance, licence or MoT and possessing an offensive weapon

A fish and chip shop worker caught driving his moped while over the alcohol limit was found to have a knuckleduster in his pocket.

Dean Elliott, 25, of Goodwood Place, Regent Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol without insurance a licence or MoT and possessing an offensive weapon.

He was fined £500 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £85 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police stopped Elliott on Central Drive, Blackpool, on July 6 at 12.50am, because he was driving a moped without lights.

A breath test showed 55 micrograms of alcohol in his body – 35 is the limit.

When interviewed he said he had found the knuckleduster in the street and taken it home. 
He did not remember taking it out with him again.

Steven Townley, defending, said Elliott had only just bought the moped. There was no suggestion he had brandished the weapon.