Blackpool: From the courts 03-07-17

Matthew Cooney, 22, assault

A restaurant manager repeatedly bit his boyfriend on his half-naked body a court was told.

Matthew Cooney sank his teeth into his partner on his stomach shoulder and chest and battered him on the head with a metal bowl.

The restaurant manager described himself as a binge drinker who regularly started a night out with 18 shots of vodka.

Cooney, 22, of Regent Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to assault.

He was sentenced to a 12 month community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service and fined £200 with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, said the couple had been in a relationship since February last year and lived in a property they had bought together.

On June 12, after a night out in which both Cooney and his partner had drunk a considerable amount of alcohol, there was a row and they started pushing and shoving each other in the bedroom.

Cooney’s partner’s shirt came off and he bit him three times before hitting him on the head with a metal bowl after he ran downstairs to phone the police.

Pictures of the victim’s bite marks and other injuries were shown to the court on the large court monitor screens.

When interviewed by police Cooney said he was a nine on the scale of drunkenness rated up to 10.

In a report to the court, probation officer Brian Weatherington, told magistrates that Cooney said his partner had accused him of cheating.

He went home and when he was later woken by his partner, he was sick.

His partner made a comment about that and that was when the assault started.

The probation officer added that Cooney had described himself as a binge drinker.

Steven Townley, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, was shocked at what he had done which was entirely out of character.

Cooney accepted he had crossed the line but said it was an isolated incident. The couple intended to continue living together.

Here is Friday’s round-up of cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court 30-06-17

Ronald Graham, 46, fraud

A man conned a company out of more than £2,000 of sovereign coins using a cheque he knew would bounce.

Ronald Graham sold the coins a few days later at a car boot sale for just £800 and used the money to pay his council tax arrears as bailiffs were threatening to take his property.

Graham, 46, a former salesman, of Central Drive, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to fraud.

He was sentenced to an eight weeks tagged curfew from 7pm to 7am and ordered to pay £2,216 in compensation.

Prosecutor, Sarah Perkins, said Graham ordered Sovereign coins over the internet from The English Coin Company and sent a cheque for payment, between February 28 and March 10.

The coins were dispatched to him without waiting for the cheque to clear.

The company then received notification the cheque had not been honoured as it had been issued on an account which had been closed.

The company sent a letter to Graham asking for payment but heard nothing.

Graham had 37 previous offences on his record some for deception and theft.

In a report to the court, probation officer Lesley Whittaker, told magistrates that Graham had been unable to work because of health problems since 2007.

He was £800 in arrears on his council tax and bailiffs had called and made a list of the items they would take from his home if he did not pay.

These included items of a sentimental valued which had belonged to his late mother. He tried but failed to get a loan.

Steven Townley, defending, told magistrates his client had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and added: “He was under pressure and committed the offence out of financial desperation.”

Tina Walton, 38, burglary

A woman has made her first appearance at court accused of a double night time burglary by burgling two houses in the resort’s Bedford Road on the same day.

Tina Walton is alleged to have confronted a woman householder in the living room at one of the addresses, while the other property she is said to have broken into was unoccupied.

Walton, 38, of Duddon Avenue, Fleetwood, is charged with stealing a watch, wallet, bank card and phone in one burglary and post in the other break-in, both of which took place on February 26 this year.

Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, asked for the case to be heard at crown court.

Defence lawyer, Brett Chappell, said his client had indicated she would plead not guilty to both offences.

Walton was bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on July 26.

She must not contact the woman householder she is alleged to have confronted and must live at her given address as conditions of her bail.

Christopher Grundy, 37, theft

A man accused of stealing meat coffee and candles from shops at Fleetwood had his case adjourned.

Christopher Grundy, 37, of Bold Street, Fleetwood, faces four offences of theft and one offence of attempted theft.

Ike Faraday, 20, driving without due care and attention

A man accused of driving a Suzuki motorbike without due care and attention on Breck Road, Poulton, has had the case against him dropped.

Ike Faraday, 20, of Trunnah Road, Thornton, had the case against him formally withdrawn.

Carla Shanley, 30, failure to comply with bail condition

A woman breached her bail by going to see her boyfriend.

Carla Shanley, 30, of Blackpool Road, Bispham, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a bail condition.

Magistrates agreed to rebail her.

Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, said Shanley had been bailed on the conditions she did not contact a man, lived at her given address and kept an overnight curfew there.

On June 27 police went round to a barber’s shop on the resort’s Cocker Street to take a statement from the man Shanley was banned from contacting.

An officer found Shanley at the barber’s shop.

She told police: “He told me to come here, so I though it was OK. We are back together.”

There had been no complaint from the man Shanley should not have contacted.

John McLaren, defending, told magistrates: “The man got in touch with her. She did not realise that if he asked her to go round to the barber’s shop and she went it would be a breach of bail. She apologises.”