Blackpool: From the courts 13-07-18

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

Alysia Wignall, 45, racially aggravated threatening behaviour

A woman racially abused a man on a bus after he could not give her a light for a cigarette.

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Alysia Wignall made race hate remarks believing the victim, who was in his fifties, was from Pakistan when in fact he was of Indian origin.

Blackpool Magistrates CourtBlackpool Magistrates Court
Blackpool Magistrates Court

She told police her father had brought her up as a racist but later admitted that was nonsense.

Wignall, a 45-year-old mother-of-one, of St Michaels Close, North Shore, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated threatening behaviour.

She was fined £120 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £100 compensation to the aggrieved plus £30 victims’ surcharge.

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Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, said the victim was waiting for a bus on West Street, on June 19 at noon, when Wignall asked him for a light but he could not provide one.

He got on the bus and Wignall followed him shouting racial abuse as he went up the stairs. Other passengers shouted at her to stop and the driver stopped the bus and asked her to leave, but she would not.

At the police station she apologised and told officers: “I’m sorry for what I said. I can’t help it. My dad brought me up as a racist.”

Mitch Sarangi, defending, said the day of the offence Wignall, who was of mixed race, had been binge drinking.

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She had been under the influence of alcohol when she said to police about her dad bringing her up as a racist and later admitted that was nonsense.

She had been appalled at her behaviour and asked for her apologies to be given to the victim.

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Thursday's round-up of cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court 12/07/18

Liam Clegg, 28, criminal damage

A man smashed the living room window at the home of a woman he was staying with.

Liam Clegg, 28, formerly of Warbreck Drive, North Shore, now of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to causing damage.

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He was given a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £300 compensation with £20 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Jim Mowbray, said Clegg had a row on July 7, with the woman who was letting him stay at her address and told her he would smash her flat up.

She left and was walking along the street when she heard a smashing noise and saw her living room window had been broken.

Clegg, who had a record of 70 previous offences, was on post prison sentence supervision at the time he broke the window.

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Gary McAnulty, defending, said Clegg had been watching the football and drinking.

He had no idea what the row was about and punched out through frustration.

Kelly Hargreaves, 43, assault

A spurned mum-of-three twice arrived home to find her husband with another woman. Kelly Hargreaves, 43, lost her temper over what she believed was an affair going on in her own home.

She pulled the other woman’s hair and launched a tirade of abuse at her.

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Hargreaves pleaded guilty to assault. Magistrates decided she had been the victim of a great deal of provocation.

They gave her an absolute discharge and ordered her to pay £85 costs. She was also made the subject of a one year restraining order forbidding her any contact with the other woman.

Brett Chappell, defending, told the court that his client, a teaching assistant, had suffered a great deal.

“Even when she arrived at court today, a process server served divorce papers on her,” said the lawyer.

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“What has happened to her has left her totally devastated after enjoying an 18-year relationship with her husband and having three children together.

“She was struck a very low blow when she got her divorce papers today.

“She now faces life as a single parent. She accepts pulling the other woman’s hair but denies pulling out clumps.”

Harbinder Kooner, 33, drunk and disorderly

A drunk man was rude to police in Blackpool town centre calling one woman officer a bitch.

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Harbinder Kooner, 33, of Withnell Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly.

He was fined £100 with £20 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Adrian Hollamby, said police saw Kooner come out of the Walkabout night spot, Queen Street, on June 19 at 12.15am, and fall over.

He was picked up by two men and officers intervened when the trio started arguing. Kooner asked one officer “who’s your daddy” and told another officer “get off me don’t touch me you bitch.”

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Kooner had a previous conviction in May for being drunk and disorderly.

Kooner told magistrates: “The two men were my friends. There was a bit of banter between us.

“The officers were a bit over the top. I don’t go out in Blackpool any more.”