Blackpool: From the courts 06-10-17

Here is Thursday’s round-up of cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court 05-10-17

Toni Garity, 26, theft, fraud, receiving a stolen bank card

A carer stole more than £2,000 from the bank account of an 87-year-old man she helped look after.

Toni Garity, who had worked as a carer for 26 years, was described as abusing her power and position of trust and targeting the vulnerable victim who lived in sheltered accommodation in Poulton.

She used the pensioner’s card to buy items such as two iPhones, one gold the other pink, and spent hundreds of pounds at a supermarket, on petrol, at a BT kiosk and on withdrawing cash.

Garity, 41, formerly of Horncliffe Road, South Shore, now living in Sandwell, Wednesbury, West Midlands, pleaded guilty to three offences of theft from employer, three offences of fraud and one offence of receiving a stolen bank card.

She was bailed to appear for sentence at Preston Crown Court on November 1.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said the 87-year-old victim had four visits a day at his sheltered housing by carers from the care company All About You.

He kept his bank card and pin number on his trolley as he used to withdraw money to give carers to pay for shopping.

A total of £2,190 had been fraudulently withdrawn from his account.

His bank contacted him about transactions made between December 2 and 5 last year.

Garity had worked for the care company from October 2014 to September last year and had cared for the victim.

Police tracked down CCTV footage of Garity buying two iPhones with the pensioner’s card.

Gary McAnulty, defending, told magistrates his client, who had no previous convictions, said she had not been involved in the theft of the card.

She said her female partner of that time, who also worked as a carer, had given her the card.

Their relationship was abusive and she had been forced to commit the offences by her partner because she was frightened of her.

Ben Turner, 23, failing to stop after an accident, driving without insurance and a full licence

A learner driver who crashed damaging several cars then fled from the accident scene.

Ben Turner had decided to take the car for a run round the block before it was sold but lost control of the vehicle.

Turner, a 23-year-old former engineering company worker, of Mansfield Road, Layton, pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident, driving without insurance and not in accordance with his provisional licence.

He was banned from the road for six months and fined £140 with £85 costs plus £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, said Turner was driving a Ford Focus on Westwood Avenue, on July 23 at 2.44pm, when he collided with several parked cars, then abandoned his vehicle and ran off.

Police traced the car’s registered keeper to Turner’s address and his parents told officers their son was not at home.

Later that afternoon Turner called police and admitted what he had done.

Allan Cobain, defending, said Turner’s girlfriend was due to have their third child. In view of this it was his family’s intention to get him driving and they bought him a car so he could help with child care.

Turner then got stopped on his moped and was found to have cocaine and cannabis in his body. He knew he would not be able to drive in the future so he decided to sell the car.

He took the car for a spin round the block to make sure it was running okay but he was an inexperienced driver and the accident happened.

Steven Harker, 25, theft

A retail worker has blamed his addiction to gambling for stealing £21,000 from his employer.

Steven Harker, 25 of Camden Road,Layton,Blackpool admitted stealing the money from McColls retail.

Magistrates sent him for sentence at Preston Crown Court because of the amount of money involved.

The court heard from prosecutor Sarah Perkins that Harker discovered the PIN number used by his manager and over a three month period used the number to authorise refunds payable to himself.

Brett Chappell,defending,said that his client’s immediate guilty plea would stand him in good stead at the higher court. Magistrates asked for probation to provide a report on Harker.