Blackpool: From the courts 09-02-18

William Kelly, 33, racially aggravated threatening behaviour and criminal damage

A chef made a race hate remark to his former boss and later ran amok in the restaurant he once worked at.

William Kelly went into The Sea Fish and Chip Restaurant, Church Street, Blackpool, and threw salt-and-peppers shakers and pickle jars around frightening people dining there and causing children to cry.

Kelly, 33, of Fairhurst Street, North Shore, denied racially aggravated threatening behaviour but was found guilty of the offence after a trial.

He admitted causing damage.

He was sentenced to a 16 months community order with up to 35 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, fined £100 with £350 costs and ordered to pay the victim £150 compensation.

He was also put on a 16 months restraining order which bans him from entering The Sea Restaurant or contacting the owner.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Kelly had worked at the restaurant for three years but the owner said he had to let the defendant go because he was turning up drunk.

On May 22 the owner was outside the restaurant and said hello to Kelly when he saw him. Kelly racially abused the owner and swore and shouted at him.

On May 31, Kelly went into the restaurant and started throwing items about.

Stacey Patterson, 38, breach of bail conditions

A woman broke a condition of her bail when she left the address she was living at after a man at the property gave her a black eye.

Stacey Patterson, 38, formerly of Beresford Street, North Shire, now living at Egerton Road, North Shore, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a bail condition.

Magistrates agreed to rebail her on the condition she lived at her given address, kept an overnight curfew there and reported to police three times a week.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said Patterson had been accused of burgling a Blackpool house and previously been bailed on the condition she kept a 9pm to 7am at her then address in Beresford Street.

On January 30, officials went to that address to fit the curfew monitoring tag to her but the home owner there said Patterson could not live there.

She was put on the wanted list and on February 6 police arrested her.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said Patterson had told him she was living at Beresford Street but she and a man who lived there fell out and he gave her a black eye.

Dean Brown, 20, assault

A son spat in his mother’s face, magistrates heard.

Sales assistant Dean Brown, 20. was staying at his mother’s flat on North Shore, after splitting up with his girl-friend in Scotland.

Brown went out drinking with friends and was drunk when he returned to the flat. He made a lot of noise and police were called and they removed him from the premises. But he returned later and his mother reluctantly let him in.

His mother tried to lock herself in the bathroom after Brown start to rant at her.

He then got into the room and spat in her face.

Brown admitted common assault.

His mother told police she felt “disgusted” at what he had done to her.

He was given a 12 month community order with 25 days rehabilitation and an eight week curfew.

Paul Fitton, 36, theft

A man described as having one of the worst alcohol problems a solicitor had ever come across has escaped being sent to prison.

Paul Fitton was drinking up to 12 litres of cider a day at his worst, his lawyer Brett Chappell told Blackpool Magistrates.

Fitton, 36, of Pleasant Street,North Shore, admitted stealing a bottle of sherry worth £7 from Sainsbury’s. The court heard he was in breach of two suspended jail terms.

Bench chairman Clifford Boynton told Fitton, who is now on a alcohol rehabilitation programme: “You have come within a whisker of being sent to prison today.

“You have two suspended sentences both of which you have breached in the past.

“However you are taking this programme and you have accommodation.

“We believe the theft of this bottle is a blip.”

The length of his suspended jail term was increased by six months and he was placed on a six week curfew.

Mr Chappell said:”On paper this man has an appalling record with over 100 convictions.

“However from the person I have come across before with one of the worst alcohol problems I have ever seen he is making progress.”