Latest convictions from Blackpool's court - Thursday, August 30, 2018

Claire Connelly, 36, assault

A drunken mother-of-two kicked out at a police officer in a Blackpool street.

Claire Connelly, 36, was coming home from a night out with her partner.

The couple were pushing each other, a woman police officer tried to calm matters down.

Connelly, of Bright Street, turned on the officer and swore at her, Blackpool Magistrates heard.

Connelly then kicked out at the officer causing injuries to her legs.

John McLaren, defending said that Connelly had been on a rare night out and had drunk far too much.

“She apologised at the police station for her behaviour and apologises again at court.”

Connelly was given a year long community order and must undertake ten days rehabilitation.

She must also do 40 hours unpaid work for the community.

Callum Blundell, 27, drunk and disorderly

A man swore at housing association staff and spat at a police officer.

Callum Blundell, 27, of Furness Avenue, Grange Park, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and breaching a conditional discharge for an offence of assault.

He was fined £40 and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police were called to Blackpool Housing Association in the resort’s South King Street on August 7 at 10.20am.

Staff had tried to help Blundell, who was drunk, up but he swore at them.

An officer tried to move Blundell who swore at him and spat, with the spittle landing on the officer’s arm.

Blundell had previous convictions for being drunk and disorderly.

Blundell told magistrates: “I was in a really bad place at the time.

“I was sleeping on the streets which made me drink more to keep the cold out and it got out of control.

“I went for an intervention and am now teetotal.

“I have apologised to the housing association officer.”

Raif McMillan, 24, possessing a lock-knife

A man accused of brandishing a knife at another man during an argument in the street at Blackpool has made his first appearance at court.

Raif McMillan, 24, of Rectory Road, Marton, is charged with possessing a lock-knife in Queen Street on August 12.

McMillan was bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on September 26.

Jason Connolly, 48, damage

A man caused thousands of pounds of damage to a van and a car when he scratched them. Jason Connolly described himself as 10 out of 10 on a scale of drunkenness when he caused the damage as he walked his dog.

Connolly, 48, of Boardman Avenue, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to two charges of damage.

He was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to the owner of a Ford transit van and £300 compensation to the owner of Vauxhall Insignia and told to pay £85 costs.

Amy Hobson, 28, assault

A mother-of-two studying to be a teacher battered a woman who had had a brief affair with her boyfriend.

Amy Hobson was described as going mad and grabbing the other woman by the hair before throwing her against the wall.

Hobson, 28, of Dalton Street, St Annes, pleaded guilty to assault.

She was sentenced to a 12 months community order with 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service and fined £50 with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge.

Blackpool magistrates also put Hobson on a 12 month restraining order which bans her from contacting her victim.

The court was told that three weeks before the offence police had cautioned Hobson for an assault on the woman and warned the defendant about sending her abusive messages on Facebook.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Hobson saw the other woman in Fifteens bar, St Annes, and threatened to smash her head into the bar on June 1 at about 9.30pm.

Later Hobson confronted the woman near Tesco Express, St Annes Road West, St Annes, and asked her to tell the truth about whether she had had a relationship with the defendant’s partner.

When told the truth that the woman had been briefly intimate with Hobson’s partner the defendant twice grabbed her by the hair then threw her against a wall, bruising the victim’s thigh.

Hobson, who is doing a teaching course at university and teacher training experience at a school once a week, told police she had been drinking vodka and become extremely angry when the other woman admitted being intimate with her boyfriend.

Peter Manning, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions and had immediately pleaded guilty, regarded the issue between her and the other woman now closed.

Hobson and her partner had also put aside their differences and were still together.