Blackpool: From the courts 30-01-18

Liz Beck, 54, wilfully obstructing the highway

A 54-year-old female anti fracker told a court that she did not realise she had superglued herself to two other protesters.

Liz Beck told Blackpool Magistrates Court that she joined a protest outside the Cuadrilla gas exploration site in June last year.

She had been involved in anti fracking protests for almost four years, she said.Beck, who lives at the protesters camp on Preston New Road,Blackpool.

She said she went to the A583 outside the site.She was there to be a welfare officer tending to the needs of fellow protesters.

Two of them had locked on together their arms contained in a pipe.They had put themselves under a vehicle being used by a security firm employed by Cuadrilla.

She said she went under the vehicle to check on their wellbeing and when she put her hand on the pipe she did not realise it was covered in superglue.

She could only be released by police using a special solvent.

Beck is one of nine defendants who deny wilfully obstructing the highway and an offence under the Trade Union act of hindering Cuadrilla staff working.

(Proceeding)

Marc Joyce, 27, rape

A man accused of raping a 19-year-old woman six years ago has made his first appearance at court.

Marc Joyce, 27, of Fairclough Road, Thornton, is charged with raping the teenager on October 16 2011 at Fleetwood.

Joyce was bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on February 28.

Anthony Monaghan, 51, burglary

A man accused of stealing a British Legion Poppy Appeal charity box containing £170 in donations during the burglary of a shop has been banned by a court from entering three sets of stores.

Anthony Monaghan, 51, of Norbreck Road, pleaded not guilty to burgling W H Smiths Ltd, Blackpool, stealing the charity box, e-cigarettes and e-liquids on November 12 last year.

He also denied theft of £300 of razors from Sainsburys and Thomas the Tank Engine toys valued at £100 from Wilkinsons.

Monaghan, who was not present at court, was bailed for further inquiries into his case.

He was prohibited from entering any branch of W H Smith, Sainsburys and Wilkinsons as a condition of his bail.

Joshua Langfield, 33, cultivating cannabis and abstracting electricity

A man who said he was sick of dealing with idiots when buying cannabis decided to grow his own.

Joshua Langfield set-up sophisticated equipment and grew 16 plants in two tents in a bedroom.

As a qualified plumbing and heating engineer he also knew how to safely by-pass the electricity meter and used £1,600 of electric to grow the crop.

Langfield, 33, formerly of Nateby Avenue, South Shore, now living at Orwell Mews, Back Gleneldon Road, St Annes, pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis and abstracting electricity.

He was sentenced to a 12 months community order to do 100 hours unpaid work for the community and ordered to pay £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge by magistrates who ordered the destruction of the drugs and growing equipment.

Ben Carroll, 32, drug driving

A driver who came to police attention because his car exhaust was so loud was found with drugs in his body.

Ben Carroll, a 32-year-old engineer, formerly of Blackpool, now living in New Road, Formby, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to drug driving.

He was disqualified from driving for three years, fined £120 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £35 victims’ surcharge.

Aaron Chalklin, 24, assault

A row with his partner over feeding the dogs led to a father-of-three being arrested.

Aaron Chalklin, 24, of Ashburton Road, North Shore, pleaded guilty to assault.

He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, fined £10 and ordered to pay £85 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said on January 23 police were asked to go to Chalklin’s address.

Chalklin’s girlfriend told an officer they had rowed over feeding the family’s two dogs and she moved a feeding bowl away from one dog.

She grabbed the bowl and as he went to get it she pushed him and he slapped her face with an open palm.

The girlfriend had not made a formal complaint to police and was not asking for a restraining order preventing Chalklin from contacting her.

Mitch Sarangi, defending, said his client had called the police and confessed that he had hit his partner.

Chalklin was hopeful he and his partner could reconcile but if she would not take him back he would go to family in Essex.

Chalklin suffered from a physical illness which made him feel dizzy if he did not take his medication and also had depression.

David McNeil, 41, theft

A man returned to crime after being released from prison because he had no money.

David McNeil,41, formerly of Lytham Road, South Shore, now living in Curtis Road, Glasgow, pleaded guilty to two offences of theft.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £50 compensation.