Blackpool: From the courts 22-12-16

Darren Richardson, 43, actual bodily harm

A man has made his first appearance at court accused of kicking his girlfriend repeatedly in the face and body with both feet.

Darren Richardson, 43, of North Church Street, Fleetwood, pleaded not guilty to assaulting his girlfriend causing her actual bodily harm.

He also denied assaulting his partner on another occasion where he was alleged to have headbutted and elbowed her.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, asked for the case to be heard at crown court and opposed bail for Richardson.

He was refused bail and remanded in custody towards appearing at Preston Crown Court on January 18 by magistrates.

Christopher Walkden, 43, theft

The manager of a Blackpool pub stole £13,000 from the takings and used the money to gamble.

Christopher Walkden, 43, of Stamford Avenue, South Shore, pleaded guilty to theft from an employer.

He was bailed to appear for sentence at Preston Crown Court on January 18 by magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Walkden was the manager of the Albert and Lion pub in Blackpool town centre from February last year to May this year.

Walkden said he had had issues with stock losses and tried to cover this up by paying for it with his own money. He also used his own money to pay staff for extra hours they worked.

The prosecutor said: “He could not afford this and he took money from the takings and gambled it.

“It was discovered during an audit that he had taken £13,000.

“This was a breach of the highest degree of trust and responsibility.”

David Charnley, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had a lot of personal problems at the time and asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared on him for the crown court.

Sophie Moore, 23, assault

A Fleetwood mother has denied assaulting her former partner.

Sophie Moore, 23, of Wingove Avenue is charged with assault.

Magistrates bailed Moore who will stand trial on February 16.

Mark Billing, 43, aggravated burglary

A Blackpool man was sent for trial by magistrates in his absence after he refused to leave the court cells.

Mark Billing, 43, of Park Road is accused of aggravated burglary at a house on Ribble Road where is alleged to have used a syringe and a lock knife.

Billing, who was remanded in custody, is also accused of burgling a house on Erdington Road. He will appear before Preston Crown Court on January 18.

John Robinson, 24, breach of suspended prison sentence, breach of bail and theft

A man who committed a catalogue of crimes will be spending Christmas behind bars.

John Robinson, 24, of Quebec Avenue, Bispham, pleaded guilty to breaching a suspended prison sentence and a community order by failing to report to his probation officer. He also admitted theft and breach of bail.

He denied assaulting his former girlfriend and intimidating her but was found guilty of the offences after a trial.

Robinson was sentenced to 24 weeks in jail and ordered to pay his ex £100 compensation by District Judge John Maxwell.

He was also put on an indefinite restraining order which bans him from contacting his former partner.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Robinson and his partner had split-up and when she went to the home they formerly shared to get some belongings, there was row and he punched her on the head.

In another incident Robinson took a £1,000 camera in a bag from a Blackpool takeaway.

Brett Chappell, defending, said his client accepted he would be sent to custody. In the past months Robinson had become addicted to legal highs and had been drinking heavily.

Stephen Thompson, 33, assault occasioning actual bodily harm

A visitor put his hands round his girlfriend’s throat and started to strangle her in the bedroom of a Blackpool hotel.

Stephen Thompson squeezed so hard his partner could not breathe and believed she was going to die, a court was told.

Thompson, 33, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.

The court was told that on December 11 the couple were staying at the resort’s Best Western Carlton Hotel when they argued.

Thompson’s girlfriend threw two wine glasses, not towards Thompson, but against a wall and they smashed.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Thomson lunged at his partner punching her four to five times in the face.

She fell off the bed onto the floor and he started to throttle her.

She managed to escape and the night porter alerted police.

Leisa Splaine, defending, said her client had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was not asking for bail.

Thompson was remanded in custody for sentence at Preston Crown Court on January 18 by magistrates.

Alexander Dwyer, 27, falsely advertising goods for sale and failing to provide goods

A man accused of committing fraud over the internet has had a date set for his trial.

Alexander Dwyer, 27, of Heathfield Road, Fleetwood, had pleaded not guilty to nine offences of falsely advertising goods for sale on Gumtree and failing to provide the goods buyers paid for.

He is alleged to have said he would provide goods to customers such as games consoles, computer items and mobile phone valued at between £125 and £65 at Fleetwood in May and June this year.

Dwyer, who was not present at the hearing, had his case adjourned to March 23 for trial by Blackpool magistrates.

Daniel Harper, burglary

A man has made his first appearance at court accused of burgling a house in South Shore.

Daniel Harper, 28, formerly of Accrington, now of no fixed address, is charged with stealing Japanese yen, Hong Kong dollars, two laptop computers and some chargers in a break-in at an address in Seventh Avenue on December 7.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said the case must be heard at crown court.

Steven Townley, defending, did not ask for bail for Harper and said his client had indicated he would plead guilty to the offence at the higher court.

Harper was remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court on January 18 by magistrates.