Blackpool: From the courts 23-11-17

Lyn Marais, 38, theft, failing to answer bail and attend court

A woman stole from a store only four days after being released from prison.

Lynn Marais returned to crime because she could not get into the flat she shared with a friend and she had no money as her benefits had not been sorted out.

Marais, 38 North Shore, pleaded guilty to theft and failing to answer bail and attend court.

She was sentenced to six weeks jail, suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £115 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Marais was detained outside the resort’s Debenhams on October 23 after she stole two bottles of perfume valued together at £146.

When interviewed by police Marais said she had gone into the store with the intention of stealing.

She had a record of 44 previous offences for theft and similar offences of dishonesty.

Howard Green, defending, said his client had been released from jail on October 19 after serving a sentence for theft.

She was given a £45 discharge grant at the prison and a travel warrant to get to Blackpool.

Marais then found she could not get into the flat she shared with a friend because he had suffered a bereavement and was away for a week.

She was living on the street, her discharge grant was soon spent and she had no benefits in place at that time.

Gary Chamblerlain, 64, producing cannabis

A man with a large number of medical problems told a court that he grew cannabis purely for medical reasons.

Gary Chamberlain had two cannabis plants which he cultivated in a shed and harvested to smoke so he could get to sleep.

Chamberlain, a 64-year-old former electrician, of Mythop Road, Marton, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis.

He was sentenced to a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 costs with £20 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Tracy Yates, said on September 23, at about 2pm police went to Chamberlain’s home as the result of information he was growing drugs.

At first officers were not allowed access to the property but 15 minutes later Chamberlain agreed let them in.

The remnants of two cannabis plants which had been growing in a shed were found and Chamberlain said he had thrown the plants over the fence at the bottom of his garden.

He had a previous conviction from 2004 for producing cannabis.

Chamberlain told magistrates he suffered from numerous medical problems including spine degeneration and was on 13 tablets a day including Tramadol.

Chamberlain said he believed the police were tipped off by a person he had refused to sell cannabis to after that person came to his garden for some chillies and saw the two cannabis plants.

Thomas Keeley, 27, making and distributing indecent photographs of children

A father has made his first appearance at court accused of making and distributing indecent pictures of children - some at the highest level of depravity.

Thomas Keeley, 27, formerly of Stainforth Avenue, Bispham, now living at Brook Avenue, Bispham, faces three offences of making and three offences of distributing indecent photographs of children.

He is also charged with possessing extreme pornography.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between September 2012 and January this year at Blackpool.

Prosecutor, Tracy Yates, asked for the case to be heard at crown court.

Keeley’s defence lawyer said his client would not indicate pleas to the offences at that stage.

Keeley was bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on December 20.

He must live at his given address and not enter an address on Stainforth Avenue without the authority of social services and not have any contact with anyone under 18, except for inadvertent contact, unless with the permission of social services, as conditions of his bail.

Dale Boyle, 25, assault and sending threatening messages

A man who had smoked cannabis from the age of eight repeatedly accused his girlfriend of sleeping with other men and then threatened to throw acid in her face.

Dale Boyle also battered her with a plastic linen basket and said he would set fire to a gas pipe and burn her house down.

Boyle, 25, of Overdale Grove, Grange Park, pleaded guilty to two offences of assault and sending threatening messages over the public communication system.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks jail, suspended for two years with up to 40 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said the girlfriend said as time went on Boyle repeatedly accused her of cheating on him with other men.

He damaged her mobile phone and doors in her home.

Boyle also pushed her into a wall and threw a linen basket at her, causing a bruise on her elbow and a lump on her head.