Fylde: From the courts 04-02-16

Dmitrijs Tolstovs carried on driving at a very slow speed after the near miss and was found to be more than three times over the limit when stopped.

Tolstovs, a 31-year-old factory worker from Latvia, of Firfield Close, Kirkham, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was sentenced to do 150 hours unpaid work for the community, banned from the road for two years and ordered to pay £85 costs with £60 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

Scott Ainge, prosecuting, said a police patrol driving on Poulton Street, Kirkham, on December 18 at 11.45pm, coming over the brow of the hill, saw a Citroen C2 on the wrong side of the road heading straight for him.

The prosecutor said: “At one stage the officer thought it was going to collide with him, but mercifully it turned at the last minute onto the right side of the road.”

The officer turned his car round and followed Tolstovs who was driving very slowly weaving from side-to.

He swerved onto the A583 and eventually stopped in his home road.

A breath test showed 110 microgrammes of alcohol – 35 is the limit.

Tolstovs, who had no previous convictions, told the judge via an interpreter: “I am very sorry for what I did. It was the only bad experience in my life and I will not repeat it.

“The road was very narrow and that was why I was on the wrong side.”

• A defendant who was due to appear in court had died Blackpool magistrates were told.

Daniel Walsh, 38, of Clifton Green, Clifton, near Kirkham, who had been accused of being drunk and disorderly, had the case against him formally withdrawn.

• A man accused of driving without care and attention has had the first mention of his case at court.

Matthew Goupil, 22, of Leach Lane, St Annes, had his case adjourned for further investigation by Blackpool magistrates.

He will appear at a date to be fixed by the court.

• A mother has been accused of two offences of benefit fraud by failing to reveal she was living with a man as husband and wife.

Rachael Crook, 28, of Queens Drive, Staining, pleaded not guilty to two allegations of dishonestly failing to notify a change in her circumstances.

The offences are alleged to have involved income support and housing benefit claimed between March 2013 and May 2014. Crook’s case was adjourned to April 4 for trial by Blackpool magistrates.

• A couple accused of failing to care properly for a cat have had their case mentioned at court.

Christopher Lomas, 34, and Natalie Abbott, 28, of Woodlands Road, Ansdell, are alleged to have failed to ensure the welfare of a black and while male cat.

The prosecution is being brought by the RSPCA and the offence is alleged to have taken place between October 7 and 13 last year at Ansdell.

Lomas and Abbott were not present at court and their case was adjourned to February 17 by Blackpool magistrates