Blackpool Magistrates Court cases and convictions in week up to January 16, 2023

Man denies attacking his ex

A Blackpool man has denied assault.

Jack Gettis, 20, of Foxhall Road was bailed when he appeared before Blackpool Magistrates.

He is alleged to have assaulted a former girlfriend on January 9, 2023.

His trial will take place on Tuesday, March 28.

Mum guilty of breaching non-molestation order against ex

A Fylde coast mum made phone calls to her ex partner despite a court order forbidding her from making contact with him.

Harley Bowker, 31, of Sandringham Avenue, Thornton, was found guilty at an earlier hearing of seven breaches of a non-molestation order.

The order was made by the Family Court in a bid to protect her former partner and Blackpool grab hire company boss John Cockett.

Bowker was sentenced by District Judge Paul Conlon at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

She was handed a one year community punishment with ten rehabilitation days and 250 hours unpaid work.

She must also pay £595 costs and was made the subject of a new two year restraining order forbidding her from further contacting Mr Cockett.

Neil White, prosecuting, said the phone calls had been “exhausting and relentless” for Cockett, who said that receiving no caller ID calls had left him ‘in dread’.

Steven Townley, defending, said the couple’s split had been a difficult one and Bowker had made some of the calls because she was worried about their son’s health.

Barman accused of stabbing teenage girl

A 19-year-old Blackpool man has made his first appearance at the town’s magistrates court charged with stabbing a girl in the street.

Louis Campbell of Buchanan Street is accused of stabbing a 16-year-old, leaving a wound near her spine.

Campbell pleaded not guilty to causing the girl grievous bodily harm and denied having an offensive weapon in public.

Barman Campbell was sent for trial at Preston Crown Court where he will appear on Friday, February 10.

He was bailed .

Roofer banned from the road

A Blackpool roofer admitted doing ‘a stupid thing’ when he volunteered to drive a colleague, despite being banned from the road.

Paul Lindsay, 46, of Saville Road, was already serving a five year ban at the time of his latest offence.

He pleaded guilty to disqualified driving and having no insurance.

He was handed a further two year ban and fined £200 at the town's magistrates court.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said his client – by doing his friend a favour – ‘had shot himself in the foot’ when it came to getting back on the road.

Police pulled over Lindsay in Station Road after a check on his BMW revealed it was insured under a woman’s name.

Man attacks wife with walking stick

A 54-year-old Blackpool man accused of twice assaulting his wife with a walking stick has been bailed.

Geoffrey Caulfield, formerly of Finsbury Avenue, was bailed at Blackpool Magistrates Court after he admitted both offences.

Pre-sentence reports will be prepared before he is sentenced on Friday, February 17.

Caulfield must not contact his wife or enter Finsbury Avenue as per the terms of his bail.

His lawyer Patrick Nelligan said Caulfield would be living in a guesthouse when released.

Scrap man banned after driving mates home from party

When a police officer looked inside a van whose driver jumped a red light, he found someone illegally sitting on the passenger’s knee.

The van only had capacity for two people – including the driver – Blackpool Magistrates Court heard.

Robert Longstaff, 33, of Riversleigh Way, Warton admitted carrying passengers dangerously when he appeared before the court.

He also admitted not having a full licence, failing to obey a red traffic light and drink driving.

He was ordered to pay £715 in fines and costs and was banned from the road for 17 months.

The court heard Longstaff was driving a Volkswagen Caddy at 2.30am through St Annes when he failed to stop for a red light in St Thomas's Road.

When police pulled alongside the van they smelled alcohol and spotted the overloaded passenger seat and containers of strong lager on display.

Steven Townley, defending, said his client had foolishly agreed to drive his friends home from a house party and now faced losing his job in the scrap industry.

Man assaulted police officer after drink and drugs binge

A relationship breakdown led a 26-year-old man to resort to the use of drink and drugs.

Patrick Purcell, of Singleton Street, Blackpool refused to leave the premises where he was staying after he had been drinking.

Blackpool Magistrates’ Court heard that Purcell – who admitted assaulting a police officer who was called to deal with him – was due to move to Corby in Northamptonshire where he has family.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said that Purcell had come to Blackpool to continue a relationship which had now ended.

“As a result of that he started to drink alcohol and diazepam,” said the lawyer.

Purcell had previous convictions for assaulting police.

He was given a one year community punishment with 15 rehabilitation days and must attend an alcohol treatment course.

He was ordered to pay £314 in fines and compensation.

Kirkham man accused of drink driving

A Kirkham man accused of drunk driving has had his trial date fixed.

Robert Yates, 51,of Carr Road, is accused of the offence in Freckleton in October 2021.

His trial will take place at Burnley Magistrates Court on Thursday, May 18.

Jehova’s Witness couple fall foul of church elders

An elderly married couple felt bound to monitor the violence content of TV programmes they watched in order to avoid recriminations from their Church.

The couple – John and Norma Burton – are both Jehovah's Witnesses and even popular TV series like Vera and Midsomer Murders can contain material offensive to their faith, Blackpool Magistrates Court heard.

John Burton, 74, of Warwick Avenue, Thornton Cleveleys was acquitted of coercive behaviour towards his own estranged wife to whom he has been married for nearly fifty years.

It was alleged by the prosecution that Burton controlled her use of a mobile phone, where and when she went shopping and what TV programmes she watched.

He was further alleged to have followed her around her flat in Fleetwood and was even accused of watching her in the shower.

District Judge Paul Conlon dismissed the case against Burton and threw out an allegation that he had assaulted his wife Norma – who is also known as Ann – by pushing her.

The court heard how the couple had first separated 20 years ago but had reunited again under pressured from church elders at the Witnesses' local Kingdom Hall.

More recently they had parted for a second time and Norma moved to her own flat in Fleetwood.

Again their church interfered and accused Mrs Burton of reproach against its teachings, the judge heard.

Delivering his verdict, the judge said there are worrying elements about the husband's behaviour but accepted it had not been malicious.

The judge found that Burton felt he was acting in her best interests because his wife suffers from a number of medical issues.

District Judge Conlon accepted Burton had asked his wife if she wanted to watch certain TV programmes because he feared interference from church elders.