Blackpool: From the courts 22-02-18

Alan Harrison, 40, offence under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

A man with a caution for voyeurism illegally worked as a carer in a home for vulnerable disabled adults.

Alan Harrison, 40, of Cleveleys Avenue, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

He had applied for clearance to work in the care industry from the Criminal Records Bureau when he was barred from doing such work.

Harrison was sentenced to do 80 hours unpaid work for the community and ordered to pay £85 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Huw Edwards.

The judge told him: “This was potentially a very serious offence. Safeguarding procedures are there to protect the public and they need to be enforced rigorously.”

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Harrison was cautioned by Greater Manchester police in 2009 for voyeurism and this barred him from working with vulnerable people for 10 years.

In 2010 Harrison applied for a clearance check from the CRB. Notification was sent to him saying he was barred from working with vulnerable people but could appeal.

In October last year, Harrison applied to work as a carer and got a job in a care home at Rossall. He resigned after three shifts.

Suzanne Mugford, defending, said her client believed his ban had ended because of the amount of time which had passed.

He had inadvertently applied to the authorities in Scotland instead of England to check and believed from paperwork he was sent that he could work as a carer.

Harrison had worked only two nights at the care home and had not come into contact with the residents. He then gave in his notice because he did not like the job.

Donald Lusher, 61, false imprisonment and indecent exposure

A man accused of falsely imprisoning two women care workers has had the first hearing of his case at court.

Donald Lusher, 61, of Lane Ends Court, Hawes Side Lane, Marton, Blackpool, who was not present at court, faces two charges of false imprisonment and two charges of indecently exposing himself.

The offences are alleged to have taken place at his address on October 7 and 12.

Defence lawyer, Trevor Colebourne, said Lusher who was registered blind, relied on a driver to get him to court and he had not arrived. Lusher’s case was adjourned.

Stephen Cartwright, 44, assault

A former soldier accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the ears and squeezing her throat has been refused bail.

Stephen Cartwright, a 44-year-old building products firm worker, of Warbreck Drive, North Shore, pleaded not guilty to assault.

The offence is alleged to have taken place at the home the couple shared on February 16.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, opposed bail for Cartwright.

He was remanded in custody until April 10.

Eight anti-fracking protesters, obstruction

Eight anti-fracking protesters have been cleared of breaking Trade Union laws.

The eight were arrested on June 26 last year and appeared before District Judge Jeff Brailsford at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

However, they were all were convicted of wilfully obstructing the highway.

The defendants were: Aaron Bell, 30, of no fixed address; Matthew Cornmell, 38, of Haig Road, South Shore; Liam Dodson, 27, of Marple Farm, Westby; Jeanette Porter, 31, of Shepherd Road, St Annes; Ashley Robinson, 23, of Cornwall Avenue, Blackpool; Nick Sheldrick(36) of Clayton Crescent ,Blackpool; Mary-Anne Wall, 57, of Ormskirk Road, Skelmersdale and Darren Dennett, 38, of Yew Tree Road,Blackpool.

They all denied hindering Cuadrilla staff and denied the obstruction offence which took place on the main A583 road outside the Cuadrilla gas exploration site at Little Plumpton.

Judge Brailsford ordered each of them to pay £200 court costs.Six were fined £200 and Robinson was fined £120.

Wall and Cornmell were also made the subject of six-month conditional discharges.

The court heard how the defendants”locked on” during the early morning of July last year stopping traffic entering or leaving the site.

The protesters locked out using tubes of concrete and at one stage used a sofa.

The defence argued that the Crown had not proved the protesters were actually on the highway and argued that the protest had been reasonable.

Giving judgement Judge Brailsford said:”Having seen the footage I am wholly satisfied the defendants were on the highway and were in a very dangerous place.

“There was also a considerable amount of planning to the whole incident.

“The defendants were given ample opportunity to end their lock on but refused to do so.”