Blackpool: From the courts 09/06/17

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

Liam Swayne, 25, assault and threatening behaviour

A man ended a marathon drinking binge by punching three women in the face.

Liam Swayne was jailed for 16 weeks by magistrates after he admitted three assaults and a charge of threatening behaviour towards a police officer.

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The court heard that Swayne 25 of Yorkshire Street, Blackpool, had gone out in the early evening and had continued to drink all through the night until he found himself in the Kaos bar on Queen Street at 5am.

As a joke he started to throw ice cubes at female members of the security staff but things swiftly turned nasty, said prosecutor Malcolm Isherwood.

As they asked him to leave and started to shepherd Swayne towards the door, he became violent and punched both women in the face.

He then let fly with punches at anyone who came near him.

He was finally ushered outside. A woman tried to calm Swayne down but then he turned on her and punched her face.

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Police arrived on the scene and in the street Swayne picked up a pint glass and threatened to throw it at one officer.

He refused to put the glass down and the officer was forced to use pepper spray on Swayne to arrest him. At the police station, he continued to be aggressive said the prosecutor.

Kathryn Jamieson-Sinclair said her client had just started a two year eight month sentence imposed at Crown Court for a series of offences which included violence.

She told magistrates: “This man was in a terrible state of intoxication he had been drinking through the night since 6.30 pm.

“He knows now how dreadful his conduct was.”

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He will serve the 16 weeks sentence concurrent to his Crown Court sentence.

Kerry Owen, 30, theft

A shoplifter was chased down the street and apprehended by a store security officer.

Kerry Owen, 30, of Reads Avenue, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to stealing a pair of flip flops and a jumper valued together at £42.

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She was fined £40 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharges.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said a security man chased Owen after the alarm went off at the H&M store on May 9. The stolen goods were found in her bag.

David Charnley, defending, said Owen and her partner’s benefits had been paid into a relative’s bank account, but they fell out with the relative and he would not given them their benefit money.

Owen committed the offence when their money was not being given to them. Their benefits were now paid in elsewhere so the same situation would not happen again.

John Wilson, 46, theft

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A man stole a CCTV camera from the premises of The Royal Air Force Association in St Annes.

John Wilson, 46, formerly of Dean Street, South Shore, pleaded guilty to theft.

He was fined £60 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £50 compensation.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said the CCTV camera belonging to The Royal Air Force Association was found to be missing on April 7

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Staff checked the CCTV footage which captured Wilson stealing the camera. When interviewed Wilson told police he had been out of his head on drugs when he took it.

Mitch Sarangi, defending, said his client had last been in trouble in 2012. It had been an isolated incident and Wilson had made efforts to get the CCTV camera back.

Amanda Ridler, 31, theft

A woman who stole more than £1,000 of goods from shops on the Fylde Coast has gone on the run.

Amanda Ridler, aged 31, of Duddon Avenue, Fleetwood, failed to turn up at court to be sentenced for 22 offences of theft. Magistrates issued a warrant without bail for her arrest.

Kelly Royle, 31, fraud

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A benefits fraudster had three jobs while illegally claiming money from the taxpayers purse.

Kelly Royle pocketed almost £3,000 in benefits while doing mainly bar work when she got into financial difficulties while sharing a house.

Royle, 31, of Westmorland Avenue, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to two offences of dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstances.

She was sentenced to a 12 months community order to do 80 hours unpaid work for the community and ordered to pay £85 costs with £30 victims’ surcharge.

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Presiding magistrate, Nora Sopworth, told her: “We take a dim view of benefit fraud. Everyone is affected by it.”

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Royle illegally claimed £2,950 in Jobseekers Allowance from the Department of Work and Pensions and housing benefit from Blackpool Council between November 2014 and October 2015.

During that time she worked for West Coast Recruitment, for Crown Entertainment on Central Pier and for the Gurkha Hotel.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had pleaded guilty as soon as possible.

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In a report to the court probation officer, Lesley Whittaker, told magistrates Royle had been living in a house share at the time and she said she was taken advantage of by other residents.

Daniel Holloway, 19, drink-driving

A barrister’s clerk was over the alcohol limit when he went on a mercy mission to rescue a friend.

Daniel Holloway came to Blackpool to watch a football match but ended up under arrest after going to get a friend who got lost in the resort.

Holloway, 19, of Lochmere Close, Erith, South London, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

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He was banned from the road for 12 months, fined £290 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police stopped Holloway on May 7 at 4.40am, as he drove a Corsa on Cookson Street.

Holloway told the officer he had had quite a bit to drink. A breath test showed 57 micrograms of alcohol in his body – 35 is the limit.

Adam Whittaker, defending, said his client, a barrister’s clerk at chambers in London, was of previous impeccable character.

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He had made a mistake and was very embarrassed at appearing in court.

He and two friends had come to Blackpool to watch football and were staying the night in a hotel.

Holloway returned to the hotel and went to sleep for five hours.

One of the friends then phoned him saying he had got lost in the resort and asked Holloway to come and collect him.

As he had had five hours sleep Holloway thought he was OK to drive, but he was stopped by police on the way to collect his friend.