Latest cases from Blackpool Magistrates Court - Monday, February 11, 2019

Robert Aspinall, 22, breaching community order

A student was told he was on the knife-edge of going to prison after breaching a community order on three occasions.

Robert Aspinall, 22, of Fylde Street, Kirkham, who lived in Lords Walk, York, while at university, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a court order.

He was sentenced to do an extra 20 hours of unpaid community work and ordered to pay £60 costs.

Prosecutor Cheryl Crawford said Aspinall had been sentenced to a 12-month community order with 120 hours’ unpaid work for five offences of theft. But he failed to attend appointments with his probation officer on December 11 and 17, and had only completed one hour of his payback work.

He was described as showing a lack of respect for court orders after previously breaching two of them, and magistrate Stephen Fairclough told him: “You were on the knife-edge. We debated whether to send you directly to custody today.

“However, listening to promises you have turned your life around, we are prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

Steven Townley, defending, said his client had been hanging around with the wrong crowd and led a chaotic lifestyle.

But, he said, Aspinall was a different person. He missed one appointment with his probation officer because he didn’t get the letter, he added.

James Beeston, 29, theft

A son who stole from his parents has been jailed.

James Beeston took a laptop computer, a drill, and angle grinder, valued at £380, and sold them at a second-hand shop.

Beeston, 29, of Ratcliffe Road, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to theft and breaching post-prison sentence supervision.

He was sentenced to 14 days in jail and ordered to pay £115 victims’ surcharge. Prosecutor Alex Mann said Beeston had been staying with his parents and, when they realised on October 30 that some of their property was missing, the defendant’s father immediately suspected his son.

Police inquiries revealed Beeston had got a friend to sell stolen the property at Money Traders.

In a report to the court, probation officer Gillian O’Flaherty, said Beeston had not kept appointments with his probation officer and had said he did not want to work with the probation service.

Steven Townley, defending, said Beeston had been working for his father who was a painter and decorator.

At the time of the offence, he was on a course about asbestos awareness. He was not getting paid, had no benefits and needed money.

His parents’ property was sold on a buy-back basis. He had no intention of not returning his parents’ property and had intended to buy it back when he was working and earning again.

Beeston missed appointments at the probation service offices because it was about eight miles away and he did not have the money to get there.

Dominik Boron, 35, drink-driving

A lorry driver visiting a friend in Blackpool was caught over the alcohol limit in his own car.

Dominik Boron, a 35-year-old Polish national, of Bury Street, Radcliffe, Manchester, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £120 with £85 costs, and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor Pam Smith said police stopped Boron’s Ford Focus because of the speed he was driving along Preston New Road at around midnight on Friday, December 7.

A blood test showed 117 microgrammes of alcohol in his body. The limit is 80.

Martin Hillson, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, would lose his job as an HGV driver.

He had been in Blackpool visiting a friend and they had a couple of drinks.

He became hungry and was stopped on his way to get some fast food.

Jon Foster, 22, failing to comply with community order

A dad-of-two found himself back in court after not keeping appointments with his probation officer.

Jon Foster, of Preston Old Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a community order, and was sentenced to a 12 months’ community order with up to 15 days’ rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service.

He was also ordered to do 100 hours’ unpaid work for the community and pay £60 costs.

Foster had previously been sentenced to a community order for possessing an offensive weapon, the court was told.

He said he had had issues with child care and had to look after his two children because his wife worked.