Blackpool: From the courts 02-03-18

John Boden, 46, theft and handling stolen goods

A career criminal tried to sell musical equipment which had been stolen from a church.

John Boden fled from a second-hand shop after he was challenged because he did not know how much of the equipment worked.

When shop staff checked the equipment they found the name of the musical director of Fylde Coast Church Alive, Reads Avenue, Blackpool, on some of it.

Only three days before Boden, who had a record of 119 previous offences over 30 years, had snatched a tray of bracelets valued at £1,672 from the resort’s H. Samuels jewellers.

He was caught after returning to the jewellers wearing a distinctive fur trapper’s style hat which he had been wearing when he grabbed the tray of bracelets from a display case.

Boden, 46, of Park Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to theft and handling stolen goods.

He was sentenced to 270 days jail and ordered to pay compensation of £1,200 to the church musical director and £1,672 to the jewellers.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Boden stole the jewellery on December 14 and three days later went into Money Traders with musical equipment valued at almost £3,000, including guitars, effects pedals and a computer containing musical information.

The name on the computer’s home screen came up as Benjamin Lalgee. Inquiries revealed he was musical director of the church and the son of the pastor there.

At the time of the offences Boden was on post prison sentence supervision and four community orders.

Terri Hine, 32, failing to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school

A mother got so depressed she could not get out of bed to take her daughter to school she told a court, Terri Hine, a 32-year-old former bar worker, of Cyprus Grove, Layton, was found guilty of failing to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school after a trial in her absence.

She was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, put on a seven days residence order to live and sleep at her given address and ordered to pay £85 victims’ surcharge.

Nicola Morgan, prosecuting for Blackpool Council’s education department, said the case concerned Hine’s six-year-old daughter who was a pupil at Bispham Church of England Primary School.

Her attendance level was 78.5 percent and 45 of her absences were unauthorised. Hine had a previous conviction for failing to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school.

In a report to the court, probation officer Lesley Whittaker, told magistrates Hine said she had suffered from depression from an early age.

She had found coping as a single mother to her children difficult and she was taken to court by the father of her twin daughters who was awarded custody of them.

Ms Whittaker added: “She says she suffered from low moods and because of this was at times unable to take her youngest child to school.

“She admits her daughter’s failure to attend school was entirely her responsibility. She admits she has buried her head in the sand hoping it will go away.”

Lee Marsden, 21, driving without due care and attention, driving with no licence or insurance

A man deliberately drove at a security guard at Blackpool’s supermarket.

The incident happened in the car park of Morrisons in South Shore, where 21-year-old Lee Marsden had already reversed into a shopping trolly.

The Ford Focus he was driving had false number plates and when police later spotted the car it prompted a chase along the county’s motorways at speed of up to 90 miles per hour.

Marsden, of Openshaw in Manchester, admitted two charges of driving without due car and driving without insurance or licence.

Banning him from the road for two years and imposing fines and costs of £355.

District Judge Jeff Brailsford told him: “You were very fortunate not to have caused a serious accident.

“You cannot tell me anything about what you did apart from to shrug your shoulders.”

Pam Smith,prosecuting, said that police followed Marsden out of Blackpool along the M55 and then northbound on the M6.

He veered between lanes two and three reaching speeds of 90 mph.

Michael Fairman, 27, sending threatening messages

A man accused of making threatening phone calls to a Blackpool doctor’s surgery has had the first hearing of his case at court.

Michael Fairman, 27, of Braithwaite Road, Peterlee, County Durham, who was not present at court, is charged with sending threatening messages via electronic communication on August 3 last year.

His case was adjourned by the court.