Blackpool: From the courts 11-01-17

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

Leon Miller, 19, assault

A teenager who went on the run after admitting stabbing a police officer at Blackpool Police HQ has been recaptured and jailed.

Leon Miller had also threatened to stab a care worker and when a woman probation officer went to interview him he mentioned stabbing to her so she stopped the interview, a court was told.

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Miller, 19, formerly of Bluebell Court, Kipling Drive, Blackpool, now of no fixed address, admitted assaulting a detective, burglary at the support living accommodation he was staying at and breaching a curfew.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment and ordered to pay £115 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Sarah Perkins, said a care worker at Bluebell Court on January 5 saw Miller was very agitated and the defendant threatened to stab the carer’s colleague.

Miller then took the keys to the petty cash box which was in the accommodation’s safe and stole £27 from it, which he spent on the drug Spice.

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When being interviewed by a detective about the burglary Miller had to sign a document and he stabbed the officer in the hand with a pen. He then held the pen up and told the detective: “I’ll stab you in the face.”

Howard Green, defending, said Miller had been in a state during the police interview and been reckless when he caught the detective on the hand with the pen.

Mr Green said: “He has enormous mental health problems, said by the psychiatric services to be drug induced psychosis from the use of the drug Spice. He has said to me today he now thinks Spice is making him ill and he ought to stop using it.”

Probation officer, Lesley Whittaker, told magistrates she had gone to the cells today to interview Miller. He had been aggressive, sworn at her and after he mentioned the word “stabbing” she felt uncomfortable and terminated the interview.

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Ms Whittaker said she had spoken to a substance abuse specialist who had tried to help Miller. The specialist said Miller had no interest in working to combat his drug abuse and his main priority appeared to be getting money to obtain drugs.

Adrian Hindley, 26, possessing a bladed article in public

A man who pulled out an axe and a Bowie knife when he was talking to an officer at Blackpool Police Headquarters has avoided jail.

Adrian Hindley had gone to the headquarters to tell police that he and his family were being threatened by a drug dealer and he was so petrified he had the weapons for protection.

Hindley, a 26-year-old hotel worker, of Portland Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing a bladed article in public. He had a previous similar conviction from 2010. He was sentenced to 18 weeks jail suspended for 12 months, ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work for the community and told to pay £115 victims’ surcharge by magistrates who ruled the weapons should be destroyed.

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Presiding magistrate, Jane McConnell, told him: “We have come to the conclusion it would be unjust to impose an immediate custodial sentence as you and your family have been seriously threatened and your partner assaulted.”

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Hindley was in Blackpool’s central police station talking to an officer when he took an axe and knife from his rucksack on January 8. He told the officer: “I’m not going to hurt you” and said he had the weapons for protection.

Brett Chappell, defending, said Hindley had once used cannabis. His drug dealer from years ago turned up and asked him if he knew anyone who might want to buy cannabis. Hindley gave the dealer a name as he still owed an old drug debt.

The dealer sold about £2,000 of cannabis to the man Hindley had suggested, but the man paid him in counterfeit money and took the drugs.

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The dealer and his gang had then burst into Hindley’s home threatening him, his girlfriend and children aged one and two with violence. Hindley reported what had happened to a special police unit which dealt with threats of violence to people, but while Hindley was away his girlfriend was assaulted.

Mr Chappell said: “He and his partner were petrified for themselves and their children. He believed he had to be tooled up with the axe and knife to protect them.

“The police have said these threats are being taken seriously and it is hoped the family can be relocated elsewhere.”

Katie Crank, 35, behaving in a threatening manner.

A woman shouted vile abuse in front of vulnerable patients at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

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Katie Crank, 35, of Dickson Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening manner.

She was sentenced to a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £25 costs with £20 victims’ surcharge.

Presiding magistrate, Jane McConnell, told her: “You have problems, but you caused quite a bit of alarm at the time.”

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a police sergeant in Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s ambulance bay heard a woman shouting abuse at the top of her voice on November 25 at 6.20pm.

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Vulnerable people around the area appeared shocked and distressed.

A nurse then asked the sergeant to remove Crank and she was arrested.

Mitch Sarangi, defending, said his client, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, had gone to the hospital because she had taken an overdose.

At the time her medication had been not been working correctly and she had believed medical staff were trying to attack her. Her treatment had now been stabilised.

Charlotte Lawlor, 36, theft

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A woman accused of stealing £65 of clothing from the resort’s Primark was unable to attend court as she was ill.

Charlotte Lawlor, 36, of Cross Street, Blackpool, had her case adjourned.

Sheraz Mehboob, 30, assault

A visitor accused of punching and kicking out at his five months pregnant partner in a Blackpool hotel has made his first appearance at court.

Sheraz Mehboob is also alleged to have grabbed his partner’s woman friend by the throat when she tried to intervene.

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Mehboob, 30, who formerly lived in Oldham, now of no fixed address, pleaded not guilty to two offences of assault.

He was remanded in custody toward his trial on February 20.

Sophie Moore, 23, breaching bail conditions

A woman broke the law when she repeatedly called and texted her former boyfriend.

Sophie Moore, 23, of Wynn Grove Road, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to breaching a condition of her bail.

Magistrates agreed to rebail her.