Fleetwood: From the courts 09-03-16

Peter David Owen, 37, failed to complete the annual registration of his address,Blackpool Magistrates were told.

Owen of Luton Road, Cleveleys, admitted failing to comply with the terms of the register and was given a six week jail term suspended for 18 months. He must pay £165 court costs.

Pam Smith, prosecuting, said that Owen had been placed on the register after he was jailed in 2003 for raping a child under the age of sixteen.

Since his release from a 30 month jail term Owen is visited by police four times a year and should notify his address to police.

“This is the eighth breach of this type – the eighth time he has failed to comply,” said the prosecutor.

Gerry Coyle,defending said:”This man was placed on the register after walked in off the streets into a police station and confessed that he had been having under age sex with a girl.

“The girl had not even made a complaint against him.That is why he received such a low tariff when he was jailed.”

“Yes there have been previous breaches of his requirements under the terms of the sex offenders register since his release and a lot of this is because he has been homeless.

“He has settled down now and the one thing he failed to do was to complete his annual notification which came to light when police visited him.”

• A man infatuated with a former work colleague broke the law when he sent her a hand-written love letter claiming he had been meeting up with celebrity singers to impress her.

Paul Lincoln had been banned by a court from contacting the woman he became friendly with when he worked as a pot-washer at Blackpool’s De Vere Hotel.

Lincoln bizarrely wrote he had been meeting up with celebrities such as Sir Paul McCartney and rappers Jay Z and Dr Dre.

The letter was hand-delivered to the hotel and in it Lincoln wrote about how he and his ex work colleague were going to get married.

Lincoln, 33, of Brown Street, Thornton, pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order.

Martine Connah, prosecuting, said Lincoln had been made the subject of a 12 months restraining order in November last year , which prohibited him from contacting the woman he met while they both worked at the De Vere.

The woman said Lincoln had been harassing and following her for three years. She said she had never had a relationship with him.

Lincoln had the letter delivered to the hotel between February 22 and 25 this year. When interviewed he said he knew he was breaching his restraining order by writing the letter, but he was drunk and his friends were egging him on.

Brett Chappell, defending, said his client had behaved bizarrely, claiming in the letter he had been meeting people such as Sir Paul McCartney, Dr Dre and Jay Z.

Mr Chappell told magistrates that Lincoln, who accepted he had mental health problems he needed help with, “had become infatuated with her and in his own mind built up their relationship”.

Lincoln was bailed for pre-sentence reports and will be sentenced at a later date by Blackpool magistrates. He must not enter the De Vere Hotel as a condition of his bail.

• A warrant without bail for a knifewoman’s arrest was issued by Blackpool magistrates after she left court before her hearing ended.

Sarah Hawkins left court after swearing and telling the bench “send me to prison”. Hawkins, 25, of Cookson Street, Thornton, had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a kitchen knife in the resort’s Blackpool Road area.

Defence lawyer, Jessica Partington, told magistrates that a psychiatric report on Hawkins had concluded she suffered from learning disabilities.

Hawkins started to laugh as magistrates began discussing bail conditions to put her on, while an additional report, was prepared before she was sentenced.

Magistrates said they wanted her to engage with the learning disabilities, forensic outreach and social services teams and attend all appointments they asked her to go to.

Hawkins then shouted out: “I have got things to do. Send me to prison.” She swore at the magistrates and her lawyer before storming out.

Hawkins refused numerous attempts to persuade her to return to the courtroom from the court foyer.

A warrant without bail was then issued for her arrest on the grounds Hawkins had absented herself before the proceedings had concluded.

Presiding magistrates, James Hanna, said: “Our best intention in this case is to help the defendant.”

• A drag race enthusiast was stopped on his way to a car festival and found with cannabis.

Jordan Bainbridge and his friends had clubbed together to buy the drug and they intended sharing it at the festival night-time disco.

Bainbridge, a 24-year-old car body worker, of Harris Street, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply the drug and possession of cannabis

He was sentenced to do 60 hours unpaid work for the community and told to pay £85 costs plus £60 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates who ordered the destruction of the drugs.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police signalled an Astra seen at Fleetwood’s West View roundabout to stop on August 6, but the vehicle failed to do so. Bainbridge and another man were seen running from the car.

Police found 44 grams of cannabis in the car and 11 grams at Bainbridge’s home when it was searched later.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said Bainbridge had been on his way to a car festival at the Santa Pod Raceway, Derbyshire, Europe’s first permanent drag racing venue.

Bainbridge and a number of his acquaintances had pitched in together to buy some cannabis in bulk, which they intended to share out and smoke at the car festival’s night time disco. Bainbridge had made no financial gain out of having the drug.

• A market trader was described as making a stupid error of judgement when he drove while over the alcohol limit.

Stephen Kay, 24, of Willoughby Avenue, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was banned from the road for 12 months, fined £340 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £35 victims’ surcharge by Andrew Robinson, prosecuting, said police stopped Kay as he drove a Renault Kangoo on Cottesmore Place on February 14 about 4.50am.

A breath test showed 41 microgrammes of alcohol in his body – 35 is the limit.

Howard Green, defending, said Kay had not had a drink for some hours and believed he was under the limit.

Kay’s error of judgement would have an enormous effect on his life and that of his parents.

Kay would now have to get a lift from his parents to get to work and to buy stock.

• A drug dealer who was caught with amphetamine and ecstasy when he was stopped riding his bike in Cleveleys has been jailed for five and a half years.

James John Hughes, 34, burst into tears when he was stopped jumping a red light on his bicyle at around 3.15am on August 7.

When he was searched, Hughes – who has a number of previous drugs convictions on his record – was found to be carrying 123.12g of amphetamine and 2.66g of MDMA – with a combined street value of £1,570.

He also had a set of digital scales and a mobile phone containing messages which suggested he had been selling drugs over the last day.

He told officers the drugs were for his own personal use but later pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs.

Preston Crown Court heard Hughes, of Coronation Road, Cleveleys, has a long-standing drugs problem, but since his arrest has sought help from the Inspire drugs project in Blackpool.

He has not used drugs for a month – the longest drug free period in many years, the court heard.

A pre-sentence report revealed a history of mental health problems and a ‘difficult lifestyle’.

Judge James Adkin, sentencing, said: “Analysis of your previous convictions suggests your life centres around drug taking and supplying.

“The guidelines in respect of this offending make this a minimum sentence case.

“The court must pass a sentence of at least seven years when certain conditions are made out. They are made out in this case.

“However the court has the opportunity to give credit for your plea which was entered at the earliest opportunity.

“In all the circumstances of this case, the mere fact of your mental health problems and difficult lifestyle do not reach the level that I can find it would be unjust to impose the minimum sentence.

“What I can do is give you full credit for your plea.”

Hughes sobbed in the dock as the judge handed him a sentence of five and a half years.

He made an order for the drugs and paraphernalia to be destroyed.

• A labourer found himself in trouble again when he put his job before appointments with his probation officer.

Alex Saxon, 24, of Wolsley Close, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to breaching his post prison sentence supervision.

He was sentenced to do 30 hours unpaid work for the community and ordered to pay £30 costs by Blackpool magistrates.

The court was told that Saxon had previously been jailed for offences of assault and driving while disqualified.

Neal Brookes, prosecuting for the probation service, said after being released Saxon was on post sentence supervision from August last year to June this year.

Early on he regularly reported to his probation officer, but then matters went downhill and he contacted his officer numerous times saying he could not attend appointments because he was working.

Saxon was asked repeatedly to provide the probation service with proof he was working, but he failed to do so.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said Saxon had found work as a labourer.

He often worked long hours out of the area and was in the hands of others as he did not drive.

His bosses were so pleased with his work they were thinking of offering him an apprenticeship.

Mr Nelligan added: “His focus was to keep his job and he lost sight of how precarious his position was.

“If he does not do what the probation service wants him to do he could go back to prison and lose his job.”