Blackpool: From the courts 23-04-18

Jennifer McMunigal, 29, threatening behaviour and racially aggravated behaviour

A woman let fly with a torrent of racist abuse at a pizza takeaway, a court was told.

Drunken Jennifer McMunigal (crrct) believes she had been waiting too long for her meal at Papa John’s outlet on Whitegate Drive, Blackpool.

She confronted the manager about the delay claiming she had been waiting half an hour when in fact she had only been in the outlet for 10 minutes.

Sarah Perkins, prosecuting told District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at the town’s magistrates court that McMunigal of Towneley Avenue,Marton, went into the shop at 8pm after drinking heavily.

“She swore repeatedly at the shop manager and said she was going to jump over the counter and kill him,” said the prosecutor.

“At one stage she tried to pull out the phone as he tried to ring the police.”

She then made racial remarks towards him.”

The judge heard that McMunigal was arrested and when she woke up in a cell the following day she could not remember what she had done.

Mc Munigal was found guilty after a trial of threatening behaviour and racially aggravated behaviour.

DavidCharnley, defending, said: “She gets into trouble when she has been binge drinking.”

McMunigal was made the subject of a one year community order.

She must do 15 days rehabilitation and was put on a 28 day curfew.She was ordered to pay £435 in fines and costs.

Steven Noble, 39, driving dangerously

A man accused of driving dangerously while being chased by police has appeared at court.

Steven Noble is alleged to have driven a Citroen Picasso round Blackpool streets at speeds of up to 60mph and gone through three red lights.

Noble, 39, of Gorton Street, pleaded not guilty to driving dangerously on Central Drive, Watson Road and Mayfield Avenue while disqualified without insurance and with drugs in his system on September 8.

Noble was bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on May 16.

Nigel White, 41, possessing 22 extreme pornographic images

Extreme pornography was found on a civil servant’s computer when police raided his home.

Nigel White told police officers who found the vile pictures of children in his possession: “I can’t believe I have done something like this.”

White, 41, formerly of Durham Avenue, Cleveleys, now living at Northway, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to possessing 22 extreme pornographic images.

He also admitted two charges of making indecent photographs of children and one charge of possessing 10 category B indecent pictures of children and 21 category C pictures of children.

In court proceedings pictures are categorised from A to C with A being the most depraved.

White committed the offences between June 2013 and January last year.

He was bailed to appear for sentence at Preston Crown Court on May 16.

Louise Castro, 56, willfully obstructing the highway

A judge has turned down a woman’s request that she is allowed to return to the main entrance of the Cuadrilla gas exploration site.

Louise Castro, 56, is currently on bail facing an allegation of wilfully obstructing the highway adjacent to the entrance on the A583 at Little Plumpton.

She is said to have been involved in a “lock on” staged by anti fracking protesters.

District Judge Jeff Brailsford was asked to lift one of the term of Castro’s police imposed bail – that she must not go within a mile of the site entrance.

He refused the application but replaced the one mile no go zone with one which forbids Castro, who lives on the anti fracking camp at Dugdale Close, Blackpool, from entering the A583 between Maple Farm and West Road junction.

Aron lee, 39, driving with excess alcohol

A former soldier who was more than twice over the alcohol limit refused to stop for police and led a patrol on a chase through the streets of Blackpool.

Aron Lee eventually pulled over and told the pursuing officer: “I’m sorry. I panicked.”

Lee, a self-employed electrician, 39, of Squires Gate Lane, South Shore, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol without an MoT, failing to stop when asked by a police officer and careless driving. He was banned from the road for 20 months, fined £400 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £40 victims’ surcharge.

A breath test showed 73 micrograms of alcohol in his body - 35 is limit.

Lee had two previous drink-driving convictions. Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said on March 30 at 12.20am police saw Lee speeding at 40mph in a Fiat Scudo van on the resort’s Park Road.

The officer followed Lee round various streets then saw him go through a red light at Condor Grove.

Police signalled him to stop but Lee carried on driving. He eventually pulled up and a breath test showed 73 micrograms of alcohol in his body - 35 is limit.

Lee had two previous drink-driving convictions.

Adam Whittaker, defending, said Lee had made an error of judgement and panicked when the police officer tried to stop him. He was apologetic and remorseful over what he had done.

Lee had been in the Army and served in Bosnia. After being discharged he found it difficult to adjust to civilian life.

He was have treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A lot of his former comrades in the Army had committed suicide and he had attended many funerals.