Blackpool: From the courts 18-08-17

Here is the latest round-up of some of the cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court.
Blackpool Magistrates' CourtBlackpool Magistrates' Court
Blackpool Magistrates' Court

Darren Jones, 45, attempted rape

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a man facing a charge of attempted rape.District Judge Jeff Brailsford issued the warrant following an application by prosecutor Pam Smith at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

He was told that 45-year-old Darren Jones was currently a prisoner serving a sentence at Highpoint prison in Suffolk.

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At a planned hearing earlier in the week Jones refused to leave his prison cell to travel to court.

The judge was told that he is due to be released later this month and would then have no fixed address.

Jones is charged with the attempted rape of a 46-year-old woman in Blackpool in 1990.

He is also charged with two allegations of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 14 in Blackpool and Southend between 2001 and 2003.

The warrant was not backed with bail.

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Robert Hassall, 34, assault

A man lost his temper after his wife kept touching him on his head because he said she knew he did not like her doing that.

Robert Hassall retaliated by punching her two or three times on the knee causing bruising.

Hassall, a 34-year-old car valeter, of Harold Avenue, South Shore, pleaded guilty to assault.

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He was given an 18 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £200 costs with £20 victims’ surcharge.Prosecutor, Sarah Perkins, said the couple were married, had been together about 12 years and had a seven-year-old daughter.

On the evening of June 6 Hassall’s wife said they were sat together on the sofa when she began affectionately touching her husband’s leg and hair as he ate a cereal bar.

She said he then punched her repeatedly, hard on her leg saying: “How do you like it.”

When interviewed Hassall told police his wife had started touching him on the head knowing he did not like it.

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He said he asked her to stop three times but she did not stop and he became angry.Hassall had initially denied the offence but changed his plea to guilty on the day of his trial.

Steven Townley, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had believed the way his wife touched him was provocative. The couple were now reconciled.

Sara Hamadani, 27, driving with excess alcohol

A drunken trainee teaching assistant lied to police and said her sister had been driving a car in Blackpool.Sara Hamadani was caught out because police viewed nearby CCTV which showed she was the only person in the vehicle.

Hamadani, a 27-year-old mother-of-three, of Abbey Hey Lane, Manchester, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. She was banned from the road for 17 months and fined £120 with £85 costs plus £30 victims’ surcharge.

Tracey Halliday, 40, theft

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A mother came under suspicion after she and another woman were seen making numerous trips to and from a car in Fleetwood.

Tracey Halliday’s car was searched and found to contained more than £200 worth of clothing stolen from shops in the port.

Halliday, 40, of Nelson Crescent, Lea, Preston, pleaded guilty to two offences of theft.

She was sentenced to a six months community order with up to 10 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, fined £25 and ordered to pay £85 victims’ surcharge.

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Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police searched Halliday’s car and found £134 of clothing from Kids International and clothes costing £108 from Next in the vehicle on June 20.

At first Halliday denied having anything to do with stolen items.

Halliday’s defence lawyer said up until this year his client had had no previous convictions.

Towards the end of last year she had suffered a breakdown in a relationship.

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She suffered from anxiety and depression for which she had got treatment and was on medication for.

Charlie Oliver, 27, breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order

A man has made his first appearance at court accused of an offence under the Sexual Offences Act involving children.

Charlie Oliver, 27, of Lindsay Court, New Road, St Annes, is charged with breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order made at Preston Crown Court in February 2015 by having unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16.

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The offences are alleged to have taken place in Blackpool between July 20 and August 14 this year.

Oliver was refused bail and remanded in custody for a trial date to be fixed by Blackpool magistrates.