Latest convictions from Blackpool's court - Friday, December 14, 2018

Christopher Danson, 33, drink-driving

A delivery driver who had attended a charity event at Kirkham Conservative Club was more than three times over the a drink-drive limit when he hit another car in the club car park.

Christopher Danson drove off despite the owner of the car he damaged tapping on his window asking him to stop and he was later found in bed at home by police.

Danson, a 33-year-old father-of-three, of Sycamore Drive, Wesham, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was sentenced to do 100 hours unpaid work for the community, disqualified from driving for 26 months and ordered to pay £85 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a man loading up disc jockey equipment at Kirkham Conservative Club on November 26, in the early hours, saw Danson, who was driving a Ford Focus, collide with his car on the car park.

The man ran after Danson and tapped on his window but the defendant drove off.

Police found Danson in bed and at the station a breath test showed 108 microgrammes of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit.

In a report to the court, probation officer Lesley Whittaker, told magistrates that Danson only drank on special occasions following problems with binge drinking when he was younger.

It was a charity event at the Conservative club and after drinking seven pints of lager Danson argued with his mother.Danson, who would now lose his job as a delivery driver for Amazon,

wanted to leave the club immediately so he drove.

Kathryn Jamieson-Sinclair, defending, said her client had co-operated with the police and pleaded guilty immediately.

Ben Dingle, 23, drink-driving

A trainee accountant was over the alcohol limit when police stopped him in Fleetwood.

Ben Dingle, 23, of Lavender Way, Preesall, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. He was banned from the road for 15 months, fined £242 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £30 cost by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police described Dingle driving a Vauxhall Corsa at speed on Broadway on November 24 at 12.30am.

Police followed him, put on their vehicle’s blue lights and he pulled over immediately on Manor Road.

A breath test showed 58 microgrammes of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit.

Kathryn Jamieson-Sinclair, defending, said her client, who had no previous convictions, disputed he had been speeding.

Dingle had had three pints of lager and then decided to drive to a friend’s home where he was going to stay the night.

Mrs Jamieson-Sinclair added: “He was one of those young men who thought he could have a couple of pints and it would be all right.”

Dingle’s mother would now have to drive him to and from work and college as there was very limited public transport from Preesall.

Anthony Rhodes, 44, drink-driving

A grieving son was more than twice over the alcohol limit when he crashed his car as he drove into work in the morning.

Anthony Rhodes smashed into a lamppost knocking it down outside the biscuit factory he worked at.

Rhodes, 44, of Inglethorpe Avenue, Bispham, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 15 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, ordered to do 50 hours unpaid work for the community, disqualified from driving for two years and told to pay £85 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Rhodes was driving a Ford Fiesta in Mansfield Road. on November 23, about 6am, when he hit a lamppost bringing it down, outside Burtons Biscuits.

A breath test showed 92 microgrammes of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit.

When interviewed Rhodes said he had not drunk anything since the night before, he had been running late, it was dark and wet and he lost control of his car. Allan Cobain, defending, said

Rhodes was a bachelor who had always lived at the family home with his mother and father. He appeared to have few friends and enjoyed the rather solitary hobby of model railways. His father died which devastated him and his mother was ill. He then started to drink too much alcohol.