Blackpool: From the courts 04-04-17

Here is a round-up of some of the cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court.
Blackpool Magistrates' CourtBlackpool Magistrates' Court
Blackpool Magistrates' Court

Daniel Walters, 30, aggravated vehicle taking, driving with insurance or a licence

A man who had never driven before took his friend’s car without permission because he was hungry.

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On the way to get food Daniel Walters crashed into a signpost and wrote off the £5,500 VW Golf.

Walters, a 30-year-old father, of Layton Road, Layton, pleaded guilty to the aggravated taking of a car and driving it without insurance and not in accordance with a licence.

He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, put on a 12 weeks tagged curfew from 9pm to 6am, disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £520 compensation by magistrates.

Presiding magistrate, James Hanna, said: “This was reckless. There was a possible risk to other people and other road users by you taking the vehicle.”

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Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Walters and his friend who owned the car went to another friend’s. The car owner had some drinks and his car keys were taken off him and he was given a lift home.

On February 18 Walters took his friend’s car keys from a table. At 12.30am a witness heard a crash and saw Walters had collided with a signpost on Devonshire Road.

Walters started walking off and stuck a finger up at the witness. When two witnesses asked him if he was OK he replied: “Yes, I’m just steaming. What happened.” He later gave himself up to police.

In a report to the court, probation officer Lesley Whittaker, said Walters, who suffered from anxiety, had previously never driven a car and accepted taking his friend’s was a very stupid decision and impulsive.

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Walters said the car was too powerful and he could not control it. He added he was never going to drive again.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said Walters and the car owner had remained friends.

Alan Lang, 38. drug-driving

A bricklayer had cannabis in his system when his car was stopped by police.

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Alan Lang, 38, of Lyddesdale Avenue, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to drug driving.

He was banned from the road for 12 months and fined £450 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £45 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police stopped Lang on February 7 at 7.45pm, as he drove a Renault Kangoo on the resort’s Warley Road.

He appeared to be under the influence of a substance and a blood test showed 8.2 units of cannabis in his body - 2 is the specified limit.

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Mitch Sarangi, defending, said his client had only occasionally used cannabis. He had used cannabis some time before the offence and believed the drug would have been out of his system when he drove.

Michael Gowans, 54, theft, breach of a conditional discharge

A man who stole meat from a store was detained after he was seen passing the shop later that day.

Michael Gowans, who was getting a methadone prescription and topping up with street heroin, told police he had stolen to fund his drugs habit.

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Gowans, 54, of Bright Street, South Shore, pleaded guilty to theft and to breaching a conditional discharge imposed for shoplifting.

He was sentenced to a nine months community order with six months drug rehabilitation, put on a four weeks tagged curfew from 8pm to 6am and ordered to pay £50 compensation by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said CCTV at the resort’s Marks and Spencer showed Gowans stealing £50 of meat on March 14. A security officer spotted him going past the shop later in the day and apprehended him.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said Gowans had moved to Blackpool from Scotland last year in an attempt to break away from the drug use.

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Once in the resort he started a cycle of drug abuse, using prescribed methadone and topping that up with two bags of street heroin a day. He was desperate to try and end his drug use.

Kelly McDermott, 34, fraud

A woman accused of fraud was unable to attend court because she was in hospital.

Kelly McDermott, 34, of Cross Street, North Shore, who is alleged to have falsely returned items claiming she had bought them to make a gain of £29, had her case adjourned by magistrates

Suzanne Boyle, 27, theft

A woman was unable to attend court because she was in hospital having just undergone major surgery magistrates were told.

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Suzanne Boyle, 27, of Holmfield Road, North Shore, who faces four offences of theft from a shop, had her case adjourned.

John Tootill, 63, obstruction of the highway

A 63 -year-old man who lives near the proposed fracking site at Westby has appeared at court.

John Tootill of Maple Farm, Moss House Lane, Westby, is alleged to obstructed the highway on the A583 next to the Cuadrilla site in the same village. Tootill pleaded not guilty and Blackpool Magistrates fixed his trial for August 17. Tootill was bailed pending his next court appearance.

Michelle Dagger, 40, theft

A mother-of-five used a pensioner’s bank card to remove £200 from her account leaving the old lady just eight pence in credit.

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Michelle Dagger, 40, of Hazeldene Road, Fleetwood, admitted the theft when she appeared before magistrates.

She was ordered to pay her victim £200 compensation, £20 victims’ surcharge and was put on a one year conditional discharge.

The court heard that Dagger knew she had not got permission to use the card and the PIN number which had been given to her by a male friend.

Michael Turner, 27, theft

A phone thief was chased through the streets of Blackpool and put under citizen’s arrest.

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Michael Turner was chased by the owner of the phone crying “stop thief” and another man stepped in to grab him.

Turner struggled constantly with the two men who had apprehended him and had to be taken to the ground while the police arrived.

The 27-year-old, of Salthouse Avenue, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to theft. He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service and fined £30 with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said a man and his wife went to the Coffee Pot cafe. On March 6 about noon the man made a call and then put his £200 mobile phone, which had valuable work data on it, on to the table.

Turner, who was wearing a hoodie, picked up the phone and ran.