Blackpool: From the courts 18-05-18

Raif McMillan, 24, failed to comply with community order

A drug-driver breached a court order when he failed to keep in touch with his probation officer.

Raif McMillan, 24, of Rectory Road, Marton, pleaded guilty to not complying with a community order.

He was sentenced to a six weeks curfew from 8pm to 8am.

Cheryl Crawford, prosecuting for the probation service, said McMillan was previously put on a 12 months community order with 25 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service and three months curfew for an offence of drug driving with cannabis in his body.

McMillan missed appointments with his probation officer on April 11 and 19 and provided no evidence for his absences.

He had completed only seven out of his sentenced 28 days rehabilitation.

The prosecutor said that McMillan had told his probation officer he was continuing to use cannabis and did not see this as being a problem.

It was his first breach of the order.

McMillan told the court that he was in remission from cancer and often only got to sleep at 4am in the morning.

Frances Nixon, 54, drink-driving

A former hotel manager was almost four times over the drink-drive limit when a member of the public stopped her driving off.

Frances Nixon, who had damaged her car but had no idea how she had done it, told police she did not feel drunk at all.

Nixon, 54, of Calder Road, North Shore, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

She was sentenced to a 12 month community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, banned from the road for 30 months and fined £100 with £85 costs plus £85 victims surcharge.

Presiding magistrate, Pamela Haslam, told her: “You had had an accident which you did not even realise you had had. This could have drastic consequences.”

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police received a report a member of the public had confronted Nixon after she drove a damaged Peugeot to the Spar shop, Dickson Road, on April 22 at 5.45pm.

Shop staff had refused to sell her alcohol because of the state she was in and after the member of public warned her not to drive Nixon walked off.

Police arrested her at home. A breath test showed 126 micrograms of alcohol in her body – 35 is the limit.

When interviewed Nixon said she and her partner had shared four bottles of wine and were drinking until about 5am.

The afternoon of the offence she had drunk a large wine and soda.

Harry Partington, 22, drug-driving

A driver who had been smoking cannabis kept slumping over sideways when he was sat in a police vehicle. Harry Partington, a 22-year-old apprentice case worker for the Department of Work and Pensions, of Cecil Street, Lytham, pleaded guilty to drug driving.

He was banned from the road for 12 months, fined £230 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police saw Partington driving a Ford Ka at speed in the opposite direction to their patrol car on Heyhouses Lane, St Annes, on January 21 at 12.30am.

When stopped Partington appeared dazed and confessed he had “smoked three bongs containing cannabis that day”.

While waiting for the drug wipe test to work Partington fell over sideways as he sat in the police vehicle and appeared to faint.

He sat up when asked his date of birth, gave it, then fell sideways again.

He sat up once more when he was asked his address, gave it, and fell sideways again.

At the police station a blood test was taken and it showed 5.8 micrograms of cannabis in his body - two micrograms is the limit.

Andrew Clive, 45, and Marisa Whybrow, 38, failing to ensure a child’s attendance at school

The parents of a 15-year-old boy found themselves before a court because he refused to get out of bed and go to school.

They had also bribed their son with £100 to attend school, stopped his pocket money, and confiscated his mobile phone – all to no avail.

Andrew Clive, 45, and Marisa Whybrow, 38, both of Aintree Road, Thornton, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school.

They were both give a 28 day conditional discharge and to pay £20 victims’ surcharge.

Sumayya Rawat, prosecuting for Lancashire County Council, said the case concerned the defendant’s son, a pupil at Millfield Science and Performing Arts College, whose attendance was 50 per cent.