Blackpool: From the courts 20-04-17

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

Thomas Logan, 32, drink-driving, no insurance, possession of drugs

A learner driver who was almost twice the alcohol limit in the afternoon was found with drugs when he was searched.

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Thomas Logan said he often drank five pints of lager after work each day and used £40 of cocaine at the weekends.

Logan, a 32-year-old construction worker, of Haslow Place, Grange Park, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol without insurance and not in accordance with his provisional licence and two offences of possessing class A drugs.

He was sentenced to a 12 month community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, disqualified from driving for 36 months and fined £200 with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge by magistrates who ordered the destruction of the drugs.

Presiding magistrate, Philip Clayton, told him: “These offences seem to be born out of stupidity. You were a possible danger to yourself and other members of the public.”

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Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police checked a Vauxhall Vectra Logan was driving on the resort’s Dinmore Avenue, on September 7 last year at 2.45pm, which came back as having no insurance.

A breath test showed 63 micrograms of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit. Both crack cocaine and cocaine were found on him when he was searched. He had a previous drink-drive conviction from 2014.

In a report to the court, probation officer Lesley Whittaker, said Logan did not accept his drink and drug use was a problem.

He said it did not affect his work and he could stop at any time.

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The day of the offence Logan had stupidly decided to drive a friend’s car to go and get some cigarettes.

Gary McAnulty, defending, said his client was making an effort to change his ways.

Matthew Ainsworth, 23, breach of restraining order and suspended prison sentence

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A man who repeatedly broke a court order by staying with a girlfriend who lived in St Annes has been jailed.

Matthew Ainsworth was arrested after police were alerted when he got into a fight with the girlfriend.

Ainsworth, a 23-year-old shop fitter, formerly of Windermere Square, St Annes, now living at Hobbs Road, Lichfield, pleaded guilty to two offences of breaching a restraining order and one offence of breaching a suspended prison sentence.

He was sentenced to 27 weeks jail and ordered to pay £115 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

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Presiding magistrate, Philip Clayton, told him: “You have continued to persistently ignore court orders.”

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Ainsworth was put on a two year restraining order a condition of which prevented him from entering the Borough of Fylde, in October 2015.

On April 8 this year Ainsworth and a woman went into the Tesco shop, Kilnhouse Lane, St Annes. The woman was upset and the police were called. CCTV footage showed Ainsworth in the shop.

On April 17 police arrested Ainsworth at his girlfriend’s home in Windermere Square.

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He had breached the restraining order on three previous occasions.

When interviewed Ainsworth told police he and his girlfriend had had a row after a court had refused to alter the restraining order to allow him to enter Fylde.

He had grabbed her shoulders and wrists to calm her and she had scratched him.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said that Ainsworth had been homeless and his girlfriend had invited him to live with her in St Annes.

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She was now in the process of exchanging her council accommodation for some in Blackpool, but that would take time.

The defence added that Ainsworth had mental health problems for which he took medication and was waiting for assessment by a mental health team.

Chantelle Fitton, 22, possession of heroin, failing to answer bail, breach of conditional discharge

A woman aroused suspicion when she tried to walk away after police stopped the car she was a passenger in for a routine check.

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Chantelle Fitton was taken to Blackpool police headquarters and searched and a piece of heroin was found in her sock.

Fitton, , 22, of Palatine Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to possessing class A drugs, failing to answer bail and being in breach of a 12 months conditional discharge for two offences of stealing from shops.

She was bailed for pre-sentence reports by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police stopped a car Fitton was travelling in on March 17 and she tried to walk off. When searched police found a wrap of heroin.

Gary McAnulty, defending, said his client had no previous drug matters. Fitton had mental health problems and had spent a considerable time in hospital last year.

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She had cut down her use of drugs and was now getting help from specialists with a view to obtaining a prescription for the heroin substitute methadone.

Hazel Redman, 38, breach of curfew

A 38-year-old woman broke her curfew order six times, magistrates were told.

In all Hazel Redman, of Briars Mews Thornton, went missing for 66 hours.

Red admitted failing to comply with her terms of her community order and was re sentenced to a six month drug rehabilitation order and the electronic tag will be removed.

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Magistrates heard that Redman had a crack cocaine addiction which was costing her hundreds of pounds a week.

She had been sofa surfing for some time and had tampered with the tag.

Thomas Cawley, 20, assault

A man accused of assaulting another man at Fleetwood has had the first hearing of his case at court.

Thomas Cawley, 20, of Forshaw Close, Fleetwood, who is also alleged to have possessed a kitchen knife in public at Fleetwood, had his case adjourned by magistrates

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Shelley Bailey, 43, and Jack Easter, 21, breach of probation

A 43-year-old Blackpool woman alleged to have breached the terms of her probation order has had her case adjourned.

Shelly Bailey of Selbourne Road, North Shore, will next appear before magistrates on May 3.

Bailey is said to have to failed to comply with a community punishment by not keeping in touch with her probation officer without reasonable excuse.

Jack Easter, 21, of Windsor Avenue, South Shore, who faces the same allegation also had his case adjourned to the same date.