Blackpool: From the courts 01-02-18

Mark Hewitt, 51, theft

A man stole from a supermarket after he had to cope without any benefits for three months.

Mark Hewitt, who lost his parents and sister in a car crash, took a digital radio and a bunch of flowers.

Hewitt, 51, of Cheltenham Road, North Shore, pleaded guilty to theft of property valued at £54.

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

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said staff at Sainsburys, Talbot Road, saw Hewitt removed the security tag from a radio on January 3.

He then picked up a bunch of flowers and was apprehended after leaving without paying.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said client suffered from Hepatitis C and an assessment by the authorities had led them to believe Hewitt was fit to work.

Hewitt’s benefits were then sanctioned and he went 13 weeks without any money before an appeal was successful and the benefits were returned to him.

Leah Mallon, 25, drink-driving, no licence or insurance

A hotel receptionist was arrested after having a temper tantrum because her boyfriend was not back from a night out.

Leah Mallon, who had been drinking, threw things about the flat then realised her partner would be annoyed about this so she decided to go and sleep in his van.

She had no idea how to drive and had never had a driving lesson and shunted his van into another vehicle when she turned on the ignition to get warm.

Mallon, 25, of Alexandria Drive, St Annes, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol without insurance or a licence.

She was disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £169 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a man living on Alexandria Drive heard a woman shouting and banging about on January 13 in the early hours.

The man saw Mallon trying to drive off in a Ford Transit van, which jolted forward and rolled back before hitting his daughter’s parked car.

A breath test showed 59 micrograms of alcohol in her body - 35 is the limit.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said his client turned on the ignition to get some warmth into the vehicle and it rocked back and forth causing minor damage to a neighbour’s car.

Rebecca Harnett, 22, obstructing the highway

A police officer had to brake heavily when he came across a woman standing in the middle of the road at 3am.

Rebecca Harnett , 22, of Dinmore Avenue, Layton, admitted wilfully obstructing the highway.

She also admitted two further offences of being drunk and disorderly on different dates.

Sarah Perkin, prosecuting, said: “The officer was driving along West Park Drive. He saw the woman in the middle of the road and slammed his brakes on.

“She had no shoes on and said she was trying to kill herself.”

Harnett said: ”I was trying to get medical help but no one will take me seriously.”

James Fox, 33, child neglect

A Blackpool man has denied child neglect

James Fox, 33, of Hesketh Avenue, Bispham, pleaded not guilty to neglect a two-year-old child.

His trial date was fixed for April 16.

Fox who does agency work at a sofa factory was bailed.

Daniel Hammond, 25, taking a prohibited article into a prison

A man has had his first court hearing accused of taking mobile phones into Kirkham Prison.

Daniel Hammond, 25, of King George Avenue, North Shore, faces two charges of taking a prohibited article into a prison between December 2016 and February last year.

Hammond was bailed for further inquiries into the case.

Jonny Franks, 31, driving while disqualified and with no insurance

A banned driver who was hungry got behind the wheel to go and get a takeaway breakfast.

Jonny Franks then tried to deceive police by at first giving the details of his supervisor, who owned the van, as his own before admitting his true identity.

Franks, a 31-year-old plasterer, of Woolman Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified without insurance.

He was sentenced to a nine weeks curfew from 9pm to 6am, banned from the road for six months and ordered to pay £85 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge.

Police stopped Franks as he drove a Vauxhall Vivaro van on the resort’s Rigby Road December 11 at 9.45am.

Franks said he had borrowed the van to go and get breakfast from McDonalds.