Blackpool: From the courts 28-03-17

Sean Godfrey, 47, theft and possession of amphetamines

A man ended up under arrest after stealing when he was doing the weekly shop.

Sean Godfrey stole two toys and some cheese and was also found to have drugs on him.

Godfrey, 47, of Coronation Street, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to possessing amphetamine and theft.

He was fined £80 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, said a security guard at Morrisons, Amounderness Way, Thornton, challenged Godfrey on March 4, after he had paid for some shopping.

Godfrey was found to have two toys and some cheese, valued together at £14, which he had not paid for in his rucksack.

The guard noted he had £60 in his wallet. Godfrey volunteered to police he had a small snap bag of amphetamine on him.

Gerry Coyle, defending, said his client acted as a househusband, going the shops and taking their daughter to and from school because his partner suffered from agoraphobia – the fear of open spaces.

The day of the incident Godfrey had been doing the weekly shop.

He had no idea why he had stolen the toys and cheese as he had money in his wallet.

Krzysztof Nikiforowicz, 32, assault

A builder spat in a police constable’s face as officers struggled with him in a holding cell at Blackpool police HQ.

Krzysztof Nikiforowicz, 32, of Rawcliffe Street, South Shore, pleaded guilty to assault.

The court proceedings were relayed to him in Polish by an interpreter.

He was ordered to pay the police officer £200 compensation and fined £230 with £85 costs plus £30 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, said the defendant was arrested on November 19 at 1.15am, on suspicion of an offence but no legal proceedings arose from that suspicion.

In the holding cell he was seen headbutting the cell door and an officer with the help of others took him to the floor. He then spat full in the PC’s face.

Trevor Colebourne, defending, said his client was embarrassed by his behaviour and apologised. Nikiforowicz had been enjoying a drink at home when police arrived and arrested him for something it was now known he had not done,

Mr Colebourne added: “He was trying to protest his innocence.

“A large number of police officers were dealing with him and by the time it all finished he had a number of injuries.”

Here is a round-up of some of Monday’s cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court 27-03-17

Robert Wilding, 52, breach of a restraining order

A former soldier broke the law three times because he liked to walk his dogs a court was told.

Robert Wilding had inadvertently strayed into an area of Fleetwood he was banned from entering his defence lawyer said.

Wilding, 52, of St Peters Place, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to three offences of breaching a restraining order.

He was fined £50 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, said Wilding had been put on a five year restraining order not to contact a former girlfriend.

The conditions included banning him from going within 50 metres of The Mount, Fleetwood, or the port’s Mount Road.

On February 10 Wilding’s ex saw him on the beach and on March 3 and 10 he was in nearby car park, all within the area he was prohibited from entering.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said the couple had met while out walking their dogs.

They had started a relationship and at one time lived with each other before separating.

Wilding had inadvertently breached the order because he had not realised the car park where dog walkers met and part of the beach where the dogs were walked within the area he was restricted from going. He had not had any contact with his ex.

John Whalley, 52, drunk and disorderly

A drunken man was arrested after he attempted to punch a police officer.

John Whalley, 52, of Crystal Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly.

He was given a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £40 costs with £20 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, said police were called to a disturbance in Crystal Road, on March 3 at 11pm. Whalley was drunk in the street and made an attempt to hit a policeman.

David Charnley, defending, said his client suffered from mental health problems and he had been in hospital.

David Moore, 33, theft

An administration clerk stole two mobile phone power banks after his phone ran out of charge.

David Moore, 33, of Stocks Road, Preston, pleaded guilty to theft and failing to answer bail.

He was fined £75 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, said Moore went into the resort’s Sainsburys, on March 4, and stole one mobile phone power bank.

He was apprehended when he returned to the store and took another power bank.

Moore told police his phone had no charge and he wanted to charge it. The first power bank he took did not have enough power in it so he went back for another.

David Jones, 44, breach of bail

A father lost his temper when he was told he could not see his children.

David Jones broke the law as he confronted his former girlfriend about her refusal to let him see his boys.

Jones, 44, of The Conifers, Hambleton, pleaded guilty to breaching a condition of his bail.

District Judge Jeff Brailsford greed to rebail him.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Jones had been bailed on a condition he did not have contact with his ex except through his mother for the purpose of child contact.

On March 19, his mother told him his ex did not wish to hand over the boys on that occasion.

Jones confronted his former partner in a shop and she told him if safety measures were put in place she would let him have contact with the children.

He became agitated, stood in the doorway of the shop to block her exit then followed her onto the street.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said family court proceedings regarding the children had been going on for a long time,

Jones became frustrated when told by his mother his ex was preventing him from seeing the children, as a judge had said he could have contact with them.