Latest convictions from Blackpool's court - Thursday, September 27, 2018

Paul Stanton, 37, breach of bail conditions

A man broke the law when he sent Facebook messages to a former partner.

Paul Stanton, 37, of The Crescent, South Shore, pleaded guilty to breaching a condition of his bail.

Magistrates agreed to rebail Stanton telling him he had “sailed close to the wind”.

Prosecutor, Jim Mowbray, said Stanton had pleaded not guilty to assaulting a woman and been bailed for trial.

His bail conditions included not contacting his former girlfriend, but between August 13 and 20 Stanton sent her a number of Facebook messages and texts.

The prosecutor said the messages were not threatening but he appeared to be trying to encourage her to get in touch with him. She found this upsetting and distressing.

It was his second breach of bail.

Julie Sharpe, 46, breach of community order

A single mother-of-two missed appointments with her probation officer because her life was in turmoil at the time.

Julie Sharpe, 46, of Central Drive, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to breaching a community order.

She was sentenced to a four weeks tagged curfew from 7pm to 7am.

Barbara Winterbottam, prosecuting for the probation service, said Sharpe had been sentenced to a 12 months community order with 25 days rehabilitation and a curfew for failing to ensure a child’s attendance at school.

On August 2 Sharpe’s probation officer arranged a home visit for her but when the officer arrived she was not in.

On August 21 she was told to meet her officer at the probation services office in Blackpool but she did not go.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said his client, who had mental health difficulties, was the single mum of two children one of whom was registered blind.

Sharpe had been evicted from her previous home around the time she missed the appointments with her probation officer.

Mark Brain, 42, failing to comply with community order

A builder was not allowed to do unpaid work for the community on a couple of occasions because he turned up late.

Mark Brain, 42, of Moorfield Avenue, Carleton, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a community order.

He was sentenced to do an extra 21 hours payback work.

Barbara Winterbottam, prosecuting for the probation service, said Brain had been sentenced to a 12 months community order with 110 hours unpaid work for the community for an offence of possessing an offensive weapon.

On July 29 and August 19, he failed to do his payback work. Brain had so far done 11 hours of the work and had 99 hours left to do.

Gerry Coyle, defending, said Brain had arrived about two to five minutes late for his payback work, due to traffic on the crossing at Carleton and the manager supervising the work refused to let him do it.

On another occasion a pub had been broken into and Brain had been called in on his building contract to replace the doors, so he could not get to his payback work.

Michael Dixon, 32, breach of bail

A fishmonger ended up appearing before magistrates after he illegally contacted his former girlfriend.

Michael Dixon,32, of Chapman Court, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to breaching his bail.

Magistrates agreed to rebail him on the conditions he did not contact his ex or enter her the port’s Lindel Road, where she now lives.

Prosecutor, Jim Mowbray, said Dixon had been bailed previously on the conditions he did not contact his ex or enter her then home street of Dudden Avenue, Fleetwood.

On August 23 Dixon’s ex said she saw him deliberately walking past her home and looking in.

In the few days before September 22 she said she received messages on Facebook from him, then he got his mother to message her saying he would not contact her again.

Samantha Houghton, 36, theft

A mother-of-four took a woman’s handbag when she put it down in a Blackpool bar.

Samantha Houghton later told police: “If she’s daft enough to leave it I’m going to take it. I have no money.”

Houghton, 36, of Fairfield Road, North Shore, pleaded guilty to theft.

She was ordered to pay £50 compensation and £40 costs.

Prosecutor, Alex Mann, said a woman in Walkabout bar put her bag down while she bought a drink on September 8, and when she turned round it had gone.

The handbag was later found in the toilets with the victim’s mobile phone and £20 cash missing from it.