Blackpool: From the courts 03-05-17

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

Joshua Hulme, 33, sending a menacing message

A judge has banned a man from using social media.

Joshua Hulme, 33, of Victoria Street East, Thornton, pleaded guilty to sending a menacing message to a woman by electronic means.

He was bailed for sentence at a later date by District Judge Jeff Brailsford.

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Hulme was prohibited from using social media, entering Grange Park or Sower Carr Lane, Hambleton, must not contact the complainant and must live at his given address and keep an overnight curfew as conditions of his bail.

Rafal Oles, 31, driving while disqualified and failing to provide a specimen for alcohol testing

A banned driver crashed twice into a taxi and once into another car as he attempted to get out of a car park in Blackpool.

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Rafal Oles, 31, of The Ferns, Preston, who worked in line production, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and failing to provide a specimen for alcohol testing. The court proceedings were relayed to him in Polish by an a interpreter.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a door security officer at the Eden bar on the resort’s Queen Street refused to let Oles in because he was drunk on April 24 at 2.15am.

He saw Oles go across the street, get into a Vauxhall Astra and try to reverse out of a parking spot. Oles hit a taxi, drove back into the parking place and crashing into the bumper of another car. He then reversed out again hitting the taxi a second time.

The security officer took Oles’ keys. When a police officer arrived Oles spotted him and set off running, but was caught nearby.

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A check showed he was disqualified from driving. He took a first breath test which showed he was more than twice over the limit with 90 micrograms of alcohol, the limit is 35, but he failed to take the other required breath test.

Oles’ defence lawyer told the judge that her client said that as a result of committing the offences and his incarceration he had now lost everything.

Oles was remanded in custody for sentence at a later date.

Daniel Ashworth, 26, assault and causing damage

A man said to use cannabis every day and who hit his girlfriend was warned about the dangers of the drug by a judge.

Daniel Ashworth, a 26-year-old former landscape gardener, of Branstree Road, Mereside, pleaded guilty to assault and causing damage.

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He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work for the community and told to pay £30 compensation.

The judge told him: “Cannabis does nobody any good. It addles your brains. It gives you nothing positive and causes untold damage.”

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Ashworth’s girlfriend said he accused her of being unfaithful and there was a row on April 27. She said Ashworth was paranoid because of his use of cannabis.

He threw her phone on the floor and stood on it.

Then he pushed her and his hand struck her upper lip. Ashworth told her: “Watch, in 10 minutes your dad’s going to be dead.”

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When interviewed by police he said he loved his girlfriend and hoped they could get past what happened.

In a report to the court, probation officer Lesley Whittaker, told magistrates that Ashworth admitted his insecurities had caused problems in their relationship.

He added he was paranoid about her leaving him because he could not cope with that.

Ashworth said he did not deliberately hit her.

It happened when he barged past her then turned round and he clipped her with his hand.

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He said he had been using cannabis since the age of 20 and used it almost every night because it helped him sleep.

James Edwards, 28, failing to provide a breath specimen, not stopping for an officer, disqualified driving without insurance and possessing cannabis.

A man accused of committing motoring and drug offences on the Promenade at Blackpool has appeared at court.

James Edwards, 28, of Ottawa Close, Manchester, is charged with failing to provide a breath specimen, not stopping for an officer, disqualified driving without insurance and possessing cannabis.

He was bailed.

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Joseph Collinson, 50, possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply and Hayley Hunter, 29, being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin

A couple accused of drug offences at Blackpool have made their first appearance at court.

Joseph Collinson, 50, of Hornby Road, Blackpool, is charged with possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply the drug on April 30.

Hayley Hunter, 29, also of Hornby Road, is accused of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.

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Prosecutor, Pam Smith, asked for the case to be heard at crown court. Defence lawyer, Allan Cobain, said his clients had indicated they would plead not guilty to the offences.

The defendants were bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on May 31.

They must live at their given address and report to police twice a week as conditions of their bail.

Liam Hilton, 29, burglary and breach of a conditional discharge

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A man described as down on his luck burgled two house garages in the Blackpool area.

Liam Hilton’s haul included medals won by a schoolboy, foreign currency, and a watch given to a worker at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Hilton, a 29-year-old former warehouseman, of Rossall Road, Layton, pleaded guilty to two offences of burglary and one offence of being in breach of a conditional discharge for an offence of burglary.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks jail suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £85 costs with £115 victims’ surcharge.

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Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a man living on North Park Drive saw Hilton trying to wheel a mountain bike which had been in his garage, out of the garden, on May 1 at 4.45am.

A search by police netted Hilton who had property he had stolen from the garage of a house on Newton Drive. This included medals, English, Turkish and American currency, alcohol and two watches.

David Charnley, defending, said his client had fallen on hard times, become depressed and turned to drink.

Hilton had been under the influence of alcohol when he committed the burglaries.

He had not caused any damage and all the property had been recovered.