Blackpool: From the courts 18-09-17

Connor Hammon, 24, assault, criminal damage, threatening behaviour

The boss of a bricklaying firm was dubbed a bully by a judge after he attacked a landlord in a bar room brawl.

Former soldier Connor Hammond flung a table and chair around and punched the landlord in the face after pushing him to the floor.

Hammond, 24, of Brook Street, Marton, pleaded guilty to assault, threatening behaviour and causing damage.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks jail, suspended for two years with up to five days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, ordered to pay compensation of £50 to the landlord plus £250 compensation for the damage with £85 costs and £115 victims’ surcharge by District Judge James Hatton.

The judge told him: “People must have been terrified by your behaviour. The punch to the landlord was delivered while he was on the floor. This is the act of a bully.”

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said the landlord of the Highfield pub was called to the area of the pub where Hammond was fighting with another man on August 5 at 10.10pm.Hammond, who was very drunk, pushed the landlord onto the floor and hit him in the face when he tried to prevent him getting back into the pub.

Outside the pub Hammond ran towards the landlord with a half full bottle of wine which smashed when he threw it. CCTV showed him throwing a chair and a table which broke in two inside the pub.

He ran towards a woman police officer with fists clenched and chest puffed out. She was forced to call for reinforcements.

Hammond had been in the Army and was doing well in his career but following a jail sentence for wounding and possessing ammunition without a certificate he was discharged from the military.

Hammond told the judge it had all started when remarks were made to his girlfriend. He apologised and said he was ashamed of himself.

Gavin Howard, 30, theft

A homeless man sleeping on the streets and eating out of bins stole a bottle of schnapps from a shop.

Gavin Howard, unemployed, 30, of Ash Cottage, Garstang, pleaded guilty to theft and breaching a post prison supervision order.

He was sentenced to eight weeks jail suspended for 12 months, fined £60 and ordered to pay £115 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said a security officer saw Howard come into Blackpool’s B and M Bargains on September 12 at 4.30pm and recognised him from previous dealings.

The guard saw Howard take a bottle of schnapps and hide it in a sleeping bag he had.

He was stopped outside the shop.

Gillian O’Flaherty, prosecuting for the probation service, said Howard had previously been jailed for shoplifting offences.

After his release from jail he was on post prison supervision during which he failed to keep appointments with the probation service on August 4 and 17.

David Charnley, defending, said at the time of the theft Howard had been released from prison, had no benefits, was sleeping on the streets and eating from dustbins.

Since then he had made great strides.

Howard had come off heroin and was getting support from the Salvation Army, Blackpool, to sort out his benefits.

Daniel Millington, 30, racially aggravated threatening behaviour and criminal damage

A defendant told magistrates that he only did stupid things when he visited Blackpool.Daniel Millington smashed a takeaway window valued at almost £600 and made race-hate remarks to

three restaurant workers of Asian origin when he was in the resort. Millington, a 30-year-old ground-worker, of Wyndham Avenue, Swinton, Manchester, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated threatening behaviour and causing damage.

He was sentenced to an eight weeks curfew between 8pm and 5am, fined £150 and ordered to pay £580 compensation.Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said a worker at Tony’s Grill, Central Drive, saw Millington punch a £580 window at the restaurant, on August 12 at 6.50pm, causing a large webbed crack.

Three restaurant workers ran out and Millington shouted racial abuse at them.

Millington told magistrates that he had come to the resort to try and comfort his brother whose relationship had broken up.

He said: “I only do stupid things when I come to Blackpool.

“I was a bit drunk and I stupidly broke the window. “They gripped me and I was assaulted.”