Blackpool: From the courts 15-02-17

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

Kelly McDermott, 34, theft

A woman stole a pensioner’s handbag as she enjoyed a night out with her husband at a hotel’s theatre.

Kelly McDermott, who was quickly identified by staff from the hotel CCTV, had to be restrained on the floor to prevent her leaving before police arrived.

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McDermott, a 34-year-old mother, of Cross Street, North Shore, pleaded guilty to theft.

She was given an 18 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 costs with £20 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said on January 24 at 9.30pm a 68-year-old woman was in the Metropole Hotel’s entertainment theatre with her husband when she noticed her handbag had gone missing.

Staff checked CCTV and saw McDermott with the bag. She was in the reception area but had to be detained on the floor as she kept trying to escape.

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McDermott told police she had gone to the hotel to meet a male friend and picked up the bag believing it was hers. Eventually she admitted stealing the bag and said she was homeless.

She had 131 previous convictions on her record many for theft and fraud.

Steven Townley, defending, said at the time of the offence his client had been evicted from the resort’s Gorton Street hostel for the homeless because she had no connections with the area.

She was due to meet a friend at the hotel and on the spur of the moment stole the bag. She had been clean of street drugs for two years.

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http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/crime/blackpool-from-the-courts-14-02-17-1-8387606|Here is a round-up of some of Tuesday’s cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court 14-02-17}

Philip Baker, 31, drink-driving

A builder was convinced he was fine to drive after having two pints at the pub after work a court was told.

Philip Baker had drunk strong lager however and its high alcohol content put him over the limit.

Baker, 31, of Maltkiln House, Blackpool Old Road, Great Eccleston, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

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He was banned from the road for 12 months and fined £200 with £85 costs plus £30 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police stopped Baker’s Ford Transit van on Raikes Road, Great Eccleston, on January 24 at 9.15pm. A breath test showed 43 microgrammes of alcohol in his body – 35 is the limit.

Trevor Colebourne, defending, said his client had stopped at The Grapes pub after work and had two pints. People often believed they were okay to drive after two pints and that is what Baker thought, but he had drunk a strong lager.

Christopher Topping. 19, threatening behaviour

A teenager who had drunk 10 pints of lager and four double vodkas threatened to stab a landlady after she asked him to leave the pub.

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Christopher Topping, who was with a girl who appeared to be under age and getting drunk, flew into a rage on being told to go.

He shouted and swore in the Black Bull pub, Great Eccleston, and after leaving the hostelry returned with a knife in his pocket.

Topping, a 19-year-old former valet, of The Old Chapel, West End, Great Eccleston, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening manner to landlady Dana Roberts and possessing a knife in public.

He was sentenced to 17 weeks prison, suspended for 12 months, ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work for the community and told to pay £150 compensation to the landlady for emotional distress with £85 costs plus £115 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

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Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Topping went into the Black Bull on November 12 at 9.25pm , with a young-looking girl.

He had previously been barred from the pub after taking in an under-age girl.

Topping was not buying alcohol for the girl he was with but she appeared to be getting drunk so they were both asked to leave.

He then threatened to stab the landlady.

Topping left but returned twice. He appeared to take something out of his pocket and struggled at the pub door with a friend who prevented him going in.

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Witnesses said a knife was in his back pocket and he later threw the knife over a wall.

The landlady said she had feared he was going to do serious harm to someone.

He told police he became annoyed because he thought the landlady had asked him to leave in a rude manner.

Brett Chappell, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, realised he had done something atrocious and apologises unreservedly.

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Topping had broken up with his long-standing girlfriend after finding out she had been unfaithful to him and had also lost his job.

The day of the incident he had received his last pay packet and started drinking in the afternoon.

He had not touched any alcohol since.

Gage Blundell, 23, non-payment of court fines

A father-of-two who owed fines to a court escaped a jail sentence.

Gage Blundell, 23, of Astling Green, Mereside, owed £1,686 to the court for mainly road traffic matters and an offence of handling stolen property.

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Blundell had been sentenced to 28 days jail which was suspended on the condition he

paid back at £30 a week, but he had sent in any money since July last year.

Martin Hillson, defending, said that Blundell had had financial difficulties and moved back in with his parents. He had tended to work at low paying jobs such as labouring for short periods of time.

The jobs would then end but he did not sign on for benefits as by the time the benefits payments were sorted out he was usually working again.

Blundell had now set up his own waste disposal business.

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He had acquired the correct licence needed for waste disposal, had a van for use in the business and was now earning money.

Magistrates agreed not to send Blundell to prison immediately.

They said the suspended jail term would remain hanging over his head and that he must pay £40 off his fines straight away followed by £50 a month until what he owed was paid off.

Kyle Bee, 18, being a passenger in a stolen car

A teenager accused of being a passenger in a car involved in a police chase from Fleetwood which crashed through barriers into a field has had the first hearing of his case at court.

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Kyle Bee, 18, of Shakespeare Road, Fleetwood, is charged with being carried in a Peugeot 206 taken without consent on January 26.

Bee, who was not present at court, had his case adjourned by magistrates.