Blackpool: From the courts 06-12-16

A man tied-up emergency services personnel after he threatened to harm himself.

Ashley Morrison barricaded himself in a bedroom at his Blackpool home and police, medics and fire and rescue workers were called in to cope with the situation.

Morrison, 25, of Gateside Court, Furness Avenue, Grange Park, pleaded guilty to breach of the peace.

An offence against him of causing a public nuisance by causing emergency services to be diverted was dropped.

He was bound over in the sum of £100 for six months by District Judge Martin Jackson.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police were called to Morrison’s address on November 2 at 6.50am, by his partner who said he had been threatening to harm himself.

Fire officers put a ladder up at the address and a knife was seen in the bedroom Morrison was in.

Morrison was leaning against the bedroom door and would not let police in.

An operation to get him to come out involved the police immediate response unit, officers with stun guns, two negotiators, the police operational support unit, three paramedics and fire and rescue personnel.

Morrison told the judge he had suffered from mental health issues and at the time felt low because he had lost a job.

Since the incident he had been to his doctor and been referred to mental health specialists.

Stephen Perry, 52, theft

A former semi-professional rugby player twice raided a store to steal almost £80 of chocolate.

Stephen Perry told police his benefits had been stopped and he had gone shoplifting to keep himself from starving.

Perry, 52, of Reads Avenue, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to two offences of theft.

He was sentenced to a 42 days curfew from 7pm to 7am and ordered to pay £40 compensation by District Judge Martin Jackson.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said CCTV showed Perry stealing £40 of chocolate bars from Sainsburys, Whitegate Drive, on November 16.

He returned the next day and took just under £40 of chocolate and this time was caught by a security guard.

Perry told police: “I’m sorry I had to do it but I have to live.”

Stephen Duffy, defending, said his client had been a gifted athlete playing semi-professional rugby.

In 2007 he was in an accident and broke every bone in both legs.

Since then, he had suffered mobility problems.

Perry had missed an appointment at the Job Centre and his benefits had been stopped.

He had survived by getting food from the Salvation Army and by theft.

Joe Cockbain, 21, drink-driving

A student’s driving was so appalling that another motorist reported him to police after he left a takeaway.

Joe Cockbain’s driving was described as “shocking” by the witness as he had problems steering and braking and crawled along at 15mph in a 30mph zone.

Cockbain, 21, of Lichfield Road, North Shore, who is studying for an engineering degree at Blackpool and The Fylde College, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

He was banned from the road for 20 months, fined £140 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £85 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Martin Jackson.

The judge told him: “Your driving was absolutely appalling and you represented a risk not only to yourself but other road users.”

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said a witness at McDonalds, Rigby Road, saw Cockbain reverse and almost hit another car before stumbling into the restaurant on November 12 at 1.30am,.

The witness followed Cockbain as he drove off and alerted police about his driving.

Police went to Cockbain’s home and a breath test showed 73 micrograms of alcohol in his body – 35 is the limit.

Cockbain’s defence lawyer said his client, who had no previous convictions, had been watching the England v Scotland football match at a friend’s and had some drinks.

He worked part time in the kitchens of a bar and as he had work the next day he decided to take a risk and drive home.

Liam Eaves, 19, breach of a community order

A teenager failed to do payback work because he was busy looking after 18 horses at a stable yard for a friend who was ill.

Liam Eaves’ four-month-old baby daughter had also been ill and been in and out of hospital a judge was told.

Eaves, 19, of Condor Grove, South Shore, pleaded guilty to breaching a community order.

He was sentenced to serve an extra 30 hours unpaid work for the community by District Judge Martin Jackson.

Brian Weatherington, prosecuting the for probation service, said Eaves had been sentenced to 10 days rehabilitation and 60 hours unpaid work for an offence of possessing a baton as an offensive weapon.

Eaves had missed appointments and done only one hour of the payback work.

Brett Chappell, defending, said his client’s baby had been very ill as had a friend, for whom Eaves had then looked after his stable business.

Agnieszka Lauks, 46, drink-driving

A woman was more than four times the alcohol limit when she drove to work one morning.

Agnieszka Lauks was seen swerving around in the road and braking for no reason and when she was stopped a breath test showed 142 micrograms of alcohol in her body – 35 is the limit.

Lauks, 46, of Breck Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

She was sentenced to 16 weeks prison suspended for two years with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work for the community, disqualified from driving for three years and told to pay £85 costs with £115 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Martin Jackson.

The judge told her: “It is perhaps a matter of luck no-one was injured.”

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police saw Lauks driving a Polish registered Honda Jazz on Lytham Road, Blackpool, on November 16 at 5.40am.

She was driving erratically and often increasing and decreasing her speed between 10mph and 40mph. When stopped she told police she had drunk a bottle of wine six hours previously.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said his client, who had moved to the UK from Poland 11 years ago, had no previous convictions.