Blackpool: From the courts 03-02-17

Daniel Crae, 38, theft, making off without paying for fuel, shoplifting, driving with no insurance and not in accordance with licence

A thief jumped into a car which the owner had left running with the keys in outside an address on Blackpool’s Central Drive and drove off.

Daniel Crae then stocked up containers in the car with petrol he failed to pay for at service stations in the resort and sold the fuel to finance for his drug habit.

Crae, a 38-year-old father-of-four, of Troutbeck Crescent, Mereside, pleaded guilty to theft of a VW Polo, making off without paying for fuel, shoplifting, driving without insurance and not in accordance with a licence.

He asked for five offences of making off without paying for fuel to be taken into consideration.

Crae was sentenced to a 12 months community order with 25 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, put on nine months drug rehabilitation and ordered to pay £120 compensation with £170 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge and had six motoring points put on his driving licence by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a man left his car running with the keys in the ignition while he briefly popped into an address on Central Drive, on December 28. When he came out shortly after his car had gone.

On January 5 police stopped Crae as he drove the car along East Topping Street. At the time of the offences Crae was on a conditional discharge imposed for four shoplifting offences.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said Crae’s criminal career started when he was a teenager in 1994 and he had 185 convictions to his name.

Crae had kept out of trouble for the last 16 months as he was working with drug rehabilitation specialists. He missed appointments and his prescription was lowered. Crae then turned to taking street drugs again and to crime to fund his habit, but he desperately wanted get off drugs.

Here is a round-up of some of Wednesday’s cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court 02-02-17

Darren Drinkwater, 39, drink-driving

A driver failed to stop and sped off after being told to pull over by a police officer.

Darren Drinkwater was later caught and found to be almost twice over the alcohol limit.

Drinkwater, 39, of Bristol Avenue, Bispham, was found guilty of driving with excess alcohol after a trial in his absence.

He pleaded guilty to failing to stop for a police officer, driving without insurance and failing to answer bail.

He was disqualified from driving for 17 months, fined £300 with £200 costs plus £30 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a police officer spoke to Drinkwater on August 23, as he drove a Ford Mondeo on Blackpool Promenade.

Checks later showed the car had no insurance and when a police patrol saw it on Talbot Road Drinkwater was told to stop.

The defendant appeared drunk and was slurring his words.

Instead of pulling over he drove off at speed and was arrested later.

A breath test showed 64 micrograms of alcohol. Drinkwater said he had drunk lager when he got home, but he was not over the limit when driving.

Suzanne Mugford, defending, said her client had panicked when told to stop because he knew he had no insurance to drive.

He said he had only drunk alcohol when he got home and was not over the limit when driving.

He missed the trial as he had changed address and did not get the trial date.

Jason Vicarage, 24, malicious wounding

A man accused of taking part in a knuckleduster attack on another man who suffered a severe arm injury has made his first appearance at court.

Jason Vicarage, 24, of Stoneclose Avenue, Durham, is charged with maliciously wounding a man with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

The offence is alleged to have taken place in Blackpool in June 14 last year.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, asked for the case to be heard at crown court,

Defence lawyer, Patrick Nelligan, did not ask for bail for his client.

Vicarage was remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court on March 1 by magistrates.

Jack Bibby, 22, breach of the peace

Police had to attend a woman’s address on three occasions after her former boyfriend refused to leave.

Jack Bibby, 22, of Condor Grove, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to breach of the peace and was bound over in the sum of £100 for six months by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police were called for the third time to a Blackpool address on February 1 at 12.36am.

Bibby’s ex told officers she had ended their relationship and had asked him to leave. She said she only let him in to shut him up before he could wake the baby.

The first time Bibby agreed to leave and the second time he was taken by police to an address in Fleetwood. The third time Bibby was described as being in a rage clenching his fists and was adamant he was not leaving.

Bibby told magistrates: “I should have listened to her and the police. I apologise to everyone over last night.”

John Roberts, 31, breach of community order

A man broke a court order after being evicted from his supported accommodation for breaking the rules by drinking alcohol in his room.

John Roberts had originally been put on the order after breaching a non-molestation order by phoning his former girlfriend home and going to her home in t Annes.

Roberts, 31, formerly of Essex Street, Preston, now living at Bedford Road, Bootle, pleaded guilty to breaching a community order. It was his third breach offence.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks jail suspended for 12 months and put on a 12 weeks tagged curfew from 7pm to 7am by magistrates.

Peter Moran, prosecuting for the probation service, said Roberts had been put on a community order after being convicted of breaching a non-molestation order in August. The order included a curfew and payback work.

The probation service was told that Roberts had left his supported living accommodation on December 27 and he had not made contact with the probation service since.

He had done little of his curfew and completed just 36 hours of his 150 hours unpaid work for the community. Steven Townley, defending, said Roberts had lost his supported accommodation because he had drunk alcohol in his room.

It was around Christmas time and he could not find any other accommodation. Roberts was also being pressured over debts an ex girlfriend had left so he decided to leave Lancashire. He went to Merseyside where he had been allocated accommodation and got a job as a barman.