Blackpool: From the courts 29-11-16

Here is a round-up of some of the cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court from November 28.
Blackpool Magistrates CourtBlackpool Magistrates Court
Blackpool Magistrates Court

Nicola Lord, 39, theft

A woman who last year won £250,000 on a scratchcard went shoplifting because she had reached financial rock bottom a court was told.

Nicola Lord had gone into a store to buy a tin of beans with her last 90p but temptation got the better of her.

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She pocketed three watches and two nail polish kits valued at £26.96 in order to sell them.

Lord, 39, of Lytham Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to theft.

She was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered to pay £26.95 compensation by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said staff at Home Bargains, Tyldesley Road, Blackpool, were alerted by a customer that Lord had stolen items on November 26 about 5pm.

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She was stopped at the door but refused to let staff look in her bag and walked off.

Police later identified her from CCTV footage and arrested her.

Lord was described as having an appalling record with 196 previous offences, 145 of them for theft.

When interviewed she told police she had no money for food or electric and went into the shop to buy beans with her last 90p but decided to steal instead.

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Brett Chappell, defending, said Lord’s life had been destroyed by an addiction to heroin which started when she was a teenager and that addiction had been the catalyst for all her previous offending.

She had conquered that addiction and was off street heroin for the first time in years, but had unfortunately now become addicted to alcohol.

Just before committing the offence her boyfriend had been arrested and he had their bank card in his possession.

Mr Chappell added: “She had hit complete and absolutely financial rock bottom. She had no money for food or electric or to fund her addiction to alcohol, so she stole the items to sell.”

John O’Neill, 35, breach of a restraining order

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A man accused of breaking the law by going to visit his former girlfriend has made his first appearance at court.

John O’Neill, 35, of Grasmere Road, Blackpool, pleaded not guilty to breaching a restraining order which banned him from contacting his ex and causing £50 of damage to her front door on November 27.

Defence lawyer, Kathryn Jamieson-Sinclair, did not ask for bail for her client.

O’Neil was remanded in custody towards his trial on December 22 by Blackpool magistrates.

Reid Warman, 21, assault

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A man has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a woman at Blackpool.

Reid Warman, 21, of Ottery Close, Bristol, had his case adjourned to January 24 for trial by Blackpool magistrates.

David Kelly, 35, fraud

A conman enjoyed a meal without paying at a Chinese restaurant in Fleetwood.

David Kelly ate chicken and sweet corn coup, sweet and sour pork with egg fried rice and had a cup of tea but then refused to pay the cost of £15.

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He was described as a man who had travelled England and Scotland and had 190 previous offences many for failing to pay for food or accommodation.

Kelly, 35, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to fraud.

He was ordered to pay £15 compensation by Blackpool magistrates who imposed no other penalty after hearing he had spent four days in the cells.

Presiding magistrate, David Cartain, told him: “You have been up and down the country enjoying yourself at someone else’s expense at times.”

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said staff at the Great Wall of China restaurant, Bold Street, called police after Kelly refused to pay on November 25 at 6.45pm.

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Steven Townley, defending, said Kelly was in the area to visit friends. Kelly maintained he had been given the wrong soup and main course and that was why he had not paid up.

Charmaine Holmes, 36, theft

A mother with an alcohol problem stole goods while she was out shopping for a Halloween party,

Charmaine Holmes, 36, of Troutbeck Crescent, Mereside, pleaded guilty to theft.

She was given a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £22.44 compensation with £50 costs plus £20 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

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Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Holmes was seen in Tesco at Clifton stealing two bottles of vodka and a fillet of beef valued together at £55, on October 22

Steven Townley, defending, said alcohol had become a problem for Holmes after her mother died.

She was now seen specialists and was getting help for her drink issues and also bereavement counselling.

Michael Hennesey, 44, burglary

A man accused of breaking into a house near Blackpool and stealing the occupants car has made his first appearance at court.

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Michael Hennesey, 44, of Leveredge Way, Bolton, is charged with burglary with intent to steal at an address on Lyddesdale Avenue, Cleveleys, damaging the garage roof and fence and stealing a Vauxhall Astra.

The offences are alleged to have taken place on November 27.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, asked for the case to be heard at crown court. Defence lawyer, Michael Woosnam, did not ask for bail for his client.

Hennesey was remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court on January 4.

Joseph Edwards, 54, theft

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A man turned to crime after relapsing and going back on street drugs.

Joseph Edwards, 54, of Moore Street, South Shore, pleaded guilty to one offence of theft.

He was sentenced to a 12 weeks curfew from 9pm to 6am and ordered to pay £26 compensation with £85 compensation plus £85 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Malcolm Isherwood, said on September 12 Edwards was caught on CCTV stealing two bottles of vodka from Iceland.

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Suzanne Mugford, defending, said her client, who had a history of drug addiction, was on a prescription for the heroin substitute methadone at the time of the offence. He was struggling with the dosage and returned to his old ways to steal to pay for some street drugs.