Blackpool: From the courts 04-08-17

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

Andrew Foley, 48, drink-driving

A drink-driving garden centre owner had his car keys taken off him by a witness who saw him driving erratically.

Andrew Foley, 48, of Beechfield Avenue, Wrea Green, proprietor of The Garden Centre, Preston New Road, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

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He was banned from the road for 14 months and fined £120 with £85 costs plus £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Foley was seen driving a Peugeot van slowly and parking half on a pavement and half on a driveway on Poplar Avenue, Kirkham, on June 10 at 6.30pm.

A man approached Foley and removed his car keys.

A bottle of wine was on the passenger seat.

A breath test showed 49 micrograms of alcohol in his body – 35 is the limit.

When interviewed Foley said he had drunk half-a-bottle of wine at a friend’s.

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He then went to check on the fracking site on Preston New Road where he drank more wine.

He told police he had previously been in rehabilitation.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, acknowledged he had an alcohol problem.

After being charged and bailed for the offence Foley had been admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s alcohol high dependency unit.

Ricky Teasdale, 28, obstructing the police

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A man went berserk when a police officer said he was being arrested and tried to handcuff him.

Ricky Teasdale shouted: “You’re not arresting me,” before attempting to punch the officer and ripping his radio off his anti-stab vest.

He then yanked the officer’s stun-gun holder away from his vest and pushed him into a chair, before struggling wildly and thrashing his head in the policeman’s direction.

Teasdale’s behaviour caused them to career round the room before he forced them both into a glass coffee table which smashed.

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The officer then managed to handcuff one of the defendant’s hands and call for reinforcements.

Teasdale, 28, of Burlington Street West, South Shore, pleaded guilty to obstructing police.

He was fined £120 with £30 victims’ surcharge and ordered to pay £50 compensation to the officer.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police were called to Teasdale’s address on July 1, following a report of a disturbance there.

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A police officer wanted to talk to Teasdale’s mother alone but the defendant insisted on coming into the room on five occasions and was eventually told he was being arrested.

Brett Chappell, defending, said police had a report Teasdale had assaulted his mother and partner.

The defendant, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis, maintained he had done nothing wrong, but the officer told him he was being arrested.

Graham Read, 26, criminal damage

A man who smashed his way into a neighbour’s hotel after drinking has been ordered to pay more than £1,000 in penalties.

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Graham Read was found asleep on a second-floor landing at the resort’s Hurstmere Hotel, Alexandra Road, by police.

Read, 26, of Alexandra Road, pleaded guilty to causing damage to wooden entrance doors.

He was sentenced to a four weeks curfew from 7pm to 7am and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to the hotelier with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge.

Presiding magistrate, David Abbotts, told him: “This must have been a distressing situation for the hotelier and his wife.”

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Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said the hotelier of The Hurstmere Hotel and his wife were woken by noise from the front doors on July 1 at about 3.20am.

The hotelier checked the CCTV at the hotel where 22 guests were staying.

At first he thought Read was a drunken guest but then spotted him lying on a landing of the top floor and called the police.

Steven Townley, defending, said Read genuinely did not know why he was in the police station.

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He thought his drinks could have been spiked and he had believed he was going into his own home as he lived on the same road.

Carla Shanley, 30, assault and criminal damage

A former events organiser who met her boyfriend expecting a reconciliation lost her temper when he told her he was dumping her.

Carla Shanley picked up some scissors with the intent of harming herself and her boyfriend suffered a cut his hand when he took them off her.

Shanley, 30, of Blackpool Road, Bispham, pleaded guilty to assault and causing damage.

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She was sentenced to a 12 months community order with 100 hours of unpaid work for the community and ordered to pay £200 compensation with £85 victims’ surcharge.

Magistrates also put her on a 12 months restraining order which bans her from contacting the victim or entering Cocker Street.

Prosecutor, Malcolm Isherwood, said Shanley went to visit her boyfriend at his shop in Cocker Street on May 18.

She said they had agreed to talk about getting their relationship back on track, but once there he described her as drunk and asked her to leave.

She threw items around causing damage estimated at £470.

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Shanley then threatened to harm herself with scissors and he cut his hand removing them.

She also hit him on the head.

Martin Hillson, defending, said his client had expected them to talk about reconciling but she was met with the bombshell he did not want anything to do with her and that she should get her belongings and go.

In a report to the court, probation officer Lesley Whittaker, said Shanley had started drinking more alcohol because she felt her boyfriend was controlling about friends she went out with, what clothes she wore, even to dyeing her hair.

Shanley had no intention of contacting him again. She had cut down on her alcohol intake and had a new partner.