Blackpool: From the courts 23/05/17

Here is a round-up of some of the cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court.
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Court news

Kieron Rowlandson, 26, taking a car without consent, driving while disqualified, no insurance, failing to provide a specimen for a drug test

A man who drove only 10 days after being banned from the road refused to stop for police who had to use two stinger devices to burst his tyres and stop him.

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Kieron Rowlandson gave a roadside test which was positive for cannabis but refused to give a blood sample as he hated needles having previously fainted during such a test.

Rowlandson, a 26-year-old car repairer, of Rede Avenue, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to taking a car without consent, driving while disqualified without insurance and failing to provide a specimen for a drug test.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks jail, suspended for two years with up to 35 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service.

He was also ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work for the community, disqualified from driving for three years and told to pay £85 costs plus £115 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

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Presiding magistrate, Margaret Squire, told him: “These are very serious offences.”

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police went to check Rowlandson was keeping to a curfew at his address on May 17, but he was not there.

Police then saw him the following day at 1.30am driving his girlfriend’s mother’s Renault Clio on Mains Lane, Poulton. An officer signalled him to stop but he carried on driving.

Two stinger devices had to be used to stop him in the Shard Bridge area.

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When interviewed, he told police he did not care about the law or what happened to him. On May 8 he had been banned for 16 months for an offence of drug-driving.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said Rowlandson took the car after he and his girlfriend had an argument with a relative. His girlfriend and her mother had repeatedly phoned asking how he was after he was arrested.

Callum Eden, 20, obstruction

A 20-year-old anti-fracking protester has been acquitted of obstructing the highway.

Callum Eden, who lives at the protesters campsite, had started to “slow walk” in front of a truck which had dropped off a worker at the fracking site off the A583 at Westby with Plumpton.

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However District Judge Jeff Brailsford ruled that Eden had not wilfully obstructed traffic in the eastbound lane.

He said that Eden had taken just two or three steps in front of the truck and had moved away from the vehicle when asked to do so by a police officer.

The judge told the court: “There is a right to protest and everyone of these cases will be treated on its own merits. This man took a couple of paces in front of the truck and then moved to one side. He was walking not shuffling along.”

Earlier, prosecutor Malcolm Isherwood had told the court: “Even a short walk could have caused chaos.”

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Giving evidence, Eden said that what he was doing was peaceful when he was grabbed by the arm by a police officer.

“I was only going to slow walk for 50-100ft in any case.”

Bethany Pirie, 22, theft

A woman who stole from her grandmother asked to remain in prison until her life was sorted out.

Bethany Pirie, 22, of no fixed address, appeared over the court video-link from Styal Prison and pleaded guilty to theft.

She was remanded in custody for three weeks for pre-sentence reports by magistrates.

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The court was told that on May 3 Pirie stole an Ark curved television and a Samsung mobile phone valued together at £1,185 from her grandmother’s home in Fleetwood.

Gerry Coyle, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, was extremely vulnerable. She suffered from bi-polar disorder, mental health and drug problems.Pirie had

become friends with the wrong sort of people two of whom were instrumental in receiving the defendant’s grandmother’s stolen television and phone.

For the theft Pirie was given £20 and a drug debt she had was cancelled.

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Mr Coyle added that if she was released at present she would be homeless, wandering the streets, have no money and would be targeted.

She was currently working with authorities at the prison to ensure she had an address to go to and a benefits claim was in place for her when she was released.

James Baillie, 37, handling stolen goods

A man found guilty of handling a stolen plasterer’s tool valued at £400 after a trial in his absence has appeared at court.

James Baillie, 37, of Moore Street, South Shore, was bailed for pre-sentence reports by magistrates.

Mary Thornton, 77, drink-driving

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A pensioner accused of driving with excess alcohol could not attend court because she was ill in hospital.

Mary Thornton, 77, of Warley Road, North Shore, had her case adjourned by magistrates.

Ben Hillin, 27, criminal damage

A man who been on a “blow-out” drinking session then went to a pizza restaurant and asked for fish and chips.

Ben Hillin lost his temper when staff told him they did not serve fish and chips and he smashed the Ansdell eaterie’s large display window.

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Hillin, a 27-year-old roofer, of Preston Street, Preston, pleaded guilty to causing damage.

He was sentenced to a two months tagged curfew from 9pm to 7am and ordered to pay £2,000 compensation.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Hillin went into Domino’s Pizza, Woodlands Road, Ansdell, on September 10 at 12.30am and asked for fish and chips.

Hillin became aggressive and had to be forcibly removed when staff told him they did not serve that as it was a pizza restaurant.

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He returned and punched the display window three times breaking it.

He was given a caution by police on the condition he paid compensation to the restaurant but he did not pay.

When interviewed Hillin said he had been under pressure and had gone for a “blow-out” drinking session with friends.

Brett Chappell, defending, said his client had been very drunk and he was deeply ashamed of his behaviour.Two days before the offence Hillin’s grandfather had died and he was under pressure at work.

The following month he lost his job and could not pay the conditional caution compensation.