Blackpool: From the courts 18-07-17

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

Christopher Haithwaite, 46, threats wtih an offensive weapon

Noise from a lorry’s refrigeration unit caused a man to snap and threaten HGV drivers with a 12-inch long knife and a pool cue cut in half.

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Christopher Haithwaite made the early morning threat to stab the drivers claiming the noise was upsetting vulnerable and ill people.

Haithwaite, 46, of Central Drive, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to two offences of threatening a person with an offensive weapon.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said two HGV drivers were unloading goods at the rear of the McColls store, Central Drive, Blackpool, on June 12 at 8.30am.

Haithwaite appeared and complained about the noise from the lorry’s refrigeration unit.

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He told the drivers: “I’ll stab you. Lorry drivers you’re all the same.

“You come around disturbing everyone and the woman round the corner has cancer.”

One of the drivers said he would shut off the refrigeration unit.

He then heard his colleague shout “knife” and saw Haithwaite approaching them with a kitchen knife and a pool cue.

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Haithwaite had a previous conviction for wounding in 2006 and a previous conviction for possessing a blade in public in 2010.

David Charnley, defending, told magistrates his client said he went to ask the drivers to turn the refrigeration off because it was causing distress to vulnerable and ill people.

He was at the end of his tether and went back and got the knife and half cue.

Haithwaite was bailed to appear for sentence at Preston Crown Court on August 16.

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Samantha Atkins, 50, assaulting a police officer

Six more people charged with offences relating to the anti fracking protesting have had their cases adjourned.

Magistrates adjourned the hearings until July 31 and granted all six bail.

They are Samantha Atkins, 50, of Manville Road,Keighley, West Yorkshire who is charged with assaulting a police officer.

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Ellie Stanton, 24, of the Whitehills protest camp, is alleged to have obstructed police.

Isobel Taylor-Farley, 18, of the Preston New Road protest camp and her sister Eloise Taylor-Farley, 24, of Bolton are both facing a charge of obstructing police.

Jonathon Black, 23, of Bolton and David Eaton, 43, of the Whitehills protest camp,are both charged with obstructing the police and offences of wilfully hiding tools belonging to a man working for the shale gas drilling firm Cuadrilla. who are drilling on the site. The sixare all alleged to have committed the offences at 
the Cuadrilla site, Preston New Road.

Wayne Brown, 35, drug-driving, possessing cannabis

A bank worker was caught driving with drugs in his body after a routine stop check by a police patrol.

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Wayne Brown, 35, of Willow Grove, Hambleton, pleaded guilty to drug driving and being in possession of cannabis.

He was banned from the road for 12 months, fined £265 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £35 victims’ surcharge.

Magistrates ordered the drugs be destroyed.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police stopped Brown’s Honda Civic on Preston Old Road at Little Eccleston, on April 24 at 11pm.

A breath test for alcohol on Brown was negative but a saliva drugs wipe was positive for drugs.

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Brown volunteered to police he had a small amount of cannabis in the car’s glove box.

A blood test showed 9.9 micrograms of cannabis in his system – the limit is 2.

Trevor Colebourne, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had been out to a pub in Great Eccleston and called at a friend’s home where he had a joint of cannabis.

Brown had co-operated fully with the police and told them he had a small amount of cannabis for his own use in the glove compartment.

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He worked in a bank in Halifax and used to drive there each day but he would now have to go on the train.

Frank Greatorex, 68, drink-driving

A pensioner was unable to attend court because he was in hospital having surgery on his fingers after an accident with a circular saw.

Frank Greatorex, 68, of Manchester Road, Blackpool, who is accused of driving while twice over the alcohol limit had his case adjourned.

Diane Johnson, 58, drink-driving

A woman who took over the driving when her husband became ill was over the drink-drive limit.

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Diane Johnson came to the attention of the police because she was driving slowly on the M55 motorway heading towards Blackpool.

Johnson, a 58-year-old former housekeeper, of Newholme Caravan Site, Preston New Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

She was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £120 with £85 costs plus £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police stopped Johnson on Preston New Road on June 18 at 12.30am, after seeing her driving a Volvo slowly on the motorway,

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A breath test showed 42 micrograms of alcohol in her body – 35 is the limit.

John McLaren, defending, said Johnson and her husband decided to go for a drink in Garstang.

Johnson’s husband, who suffered from high blood pressure and migraines, was driving as he did not drink alcohol.

After they had gone out Johnson’s husband became unwell and started having a migraine attack.

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He could not drive so Johnson took the wheel thinking she was not above the limit.

Raven Gwillian, 20, racially aggravated behaviour

A woman accused of racial abuse has been put on the wanted list.

Raven Gwilliam, 20, of Braithwaite Street, North Shore, faces two offences of racially aggravated behaviour towards two men in Blackpool.

She is also accused of two offences of threatening behaviour and stealing lager from a shop in the resort.

William Bratby, 38, breach of bail conditions

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A man broke the terms of his bail when he visited he ex partner’s home.

William Bratby, 38, Milbourne Street,Blackpool should not have been at the property.

And while he was there he smashed a flat screen TV.

Bratby was fined £300 and given a 12 months conditional discharge after he admitted the damage and breaching his bail.

The court heard that he had been invited to the house by his former partner to collect some money and see their children.