Blackpool: From the courts 21-11-17

Niall Roberts, 19, assault

A teenager subjected his girlfriend to a violent attack which lasted more than half-an-hour.

Niall Roberts repeatedly tried to strangle his partner after slapping her and knocking her to the floor where he got on top of her.

She was only able to escape when a staff member at Roberts address burst in and stood between her and her attacker.

Roberts, 19, of Harbour House hostel, Dock Road, Lytham, pleaded guilty to assault.

He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 50 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service and ordered to pay his girlfriend £100 compensation with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, told magistrates that Roberts’ girlfriend said they had been in a relationship for five months and he was often paranoid and suspicious of her.

On November 15 he rang her saying he had had a lot of alcohol to drink and begged her to visit him.

She arrived at his flat about 10.30pm and found him passed out. He came round and she was giving him water when he became paranoid.

He slapped her about the face, grabbed her hair and pushed her to the floor where he got on top of her.

Roberts squeezed her throat choking her saying: “This is how you make me feel.”

A male staff member rushed in after hearing her screaming that Roberts was a psychopath and managed to push him off her.

She was taken to hospital where soft tissue in her neck was found to be inflamed and her cheek bruised.

Howard Green, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had mental health issues.

Jane Smith, 53, breach of Criminal Behaviour order

A woman banned by a court from ringing the police after calling them to ask if they would move her mattress because she was tired broke the law after only a week.

Jane Smith made a hoax 999 call to Lancashire police and when officers tracked her down she was drunk and drinking from a two litre bottle of cider.

Smith, 53, of Withnell Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

She was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 30 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service and fined £10 with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge.

Presiding magistrate, Christine Greaves, told her: “Your behaviour is totally unacceptable in calling the emergency services which are already extremely stretched.”

The court was told that on November 8 Smith was put on a CBO after pleading guilty to making a hoax 999 call.

The order bans her from phoning Lancashire police except in an emergency or when a crime or anti-social behaviour has occurred. It also prohibits her from calling the ambulance service except in an emergency.

On November 15 at 10.20pm, Smith made a 999 call to police from a mobile phone. No crime, emergency or anti-social behaviour had taken place.

Ms Smith added: “She is described as a high intensity user, resulting in wasting the emergency services time.”

Peter Manning, defending, said his client had significant mental health, physical and alcohol problems which had resulted from neuralgia, severe facial pain, she suffered as the result of an operation going wrong some years ago.

As a result she used alcohol to medicate herself when her painkillers did not work.

Anthony Keeling, 29, breach of restraining order

A hotel manager who repeatedly broke the law by seeing his girlfriend has been jailed.

Anthony Keeling said he could not live at the hotel while repairs were being carried out so his girlfriend said he could stay at her address for a short time.

Keeling, 29, of Bairstow Street, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order. It was his third breach of the order.

He was sentenced to eight weeks jail and ordered to pay £150 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Keeling was put on a restraining order in June last year which banned him from contacting his girlfriend.

On November 16 police received a tip-off and went to Keeling’s girlfriend’s address on Lord Street.

She admitted Keeling had been at the flat with her but she did not want to make a complaint.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said Keeling was the manager of a hotel in Blackpool and work on its renovation started on November 13.

Keeling was not allowed to stay there.

He had nowhere to stay and his girlfriend invited him to stay with her.