Latest convictions from Blackpool's court - Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Nicola Rayner, 38, knowingly allowing a child to play truant from school

A woman who committed her fifth offence of failing to ensure a child’s attendance at school was ordered to do payback work by a judge.

Nicola Rayner, 38, of Sherbourne Road, North Shore, pleaded guilty to knowingly allowing a child to play truant from school.

She was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 10 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, ordered to do 40 hours unpaid work for the community and told to pay £200 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Jane Goodwin.

Lynda Bennett, prosecuting for Blackpool Council’s education department, said the case concerned an eight-year-old girl who was a pupil at Westminster Primary Academy.

The girl’s attendance rate at the school was 50 percent and she had 35 unauthorised absences between June 4 and July 20 this year.

On three occasions the pupil welfare officer visited Raynor’s home no-one was home and the defendant subsequently did not make contact with the officer.

Raynor had a record of four previous offences for failing to ensure a child’s attendance at school.

Steven Townley, defending, asked for a pre-sentence report on his client.

He said the probation service believed Raynor would benefit from some help.

Strong painkillers prescribed for a man’s spinal condition knocked him out for hours so he could not leave his home.

Philip McGrath said he was fast asleep and did not hear the company monitoring his curfew ringing his tag box.

McGrath, 53, of Myrtle Grove, Blackpool, denied breaching his bail.

Magistrates found the case against him not proved and he was rebailed.

The prosecutor said McGrath had previously been bailed on the condition he kept a curfew at his home from 7pm to 7am.

On Saturday at 4.38am the equipment monitoring McGrath’s electronic tag registered that he was not in his address.

Officials telephoned McGrath’s tag box but he did not answer.

McGrath told the court that the first tag he was fitted with was faulty and had to be changed.

He said: “I did not leave the property. I was fast asleep in bed having taken my tablets. They knock me out for about eight to nine hours. I take the tablets for a spinal injury.”

McGrath added that the tag phone box was in his living room downstairs and his bedroom was upstairs and he would not have heard the phone.

Casey McDonnell, 36, burglary, possessing a knuckle-duster

A burglar broke into the garage of a home in Blackpool stealing tools valued at £2,500.

Casey MacDonnell, who transported the stolen goods in a wheelie bin, was later found with a knuckle duster in his boxer shorts.

MacDonnell, 36, of Park Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to burgling a garage on St Vincents Avenue and possessing of a black metal knuckle duster in St Ives Avenue, Marton, on Saturday.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said at the time of the burglary the householder was inside the property.

The tools MacDonnell had taken in the burglary had been recovered.

The prosecutor added that MacDonnell was on licence from prison and had a long criminal record which included 24 previous burglary offences. Defence lawyer, Robert Castle, did not ask for bail for his client.

MacDonnell was remanded in custody for sentence on November 21 at Preston Crown Court.

Conor Quigley, 20, aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage, driving without insurance, obstructing police

A man has made his first appearance at court accused of taking a car for a joyride without consent and causing damage. Conor Quigley, 20, of Kent Road, Blackpool, pleaded not guilty to the aggravated taking of a Citroen C4 Cactus in Blackpool on Sunday.

He pleaded guilty to driving without insurance, not in accordance with his licence and obstructing police on the same day.

Quigley was bailed for trial on January 9, on the charge of taking the car.

He must live at his given address and not contact the complainant who owns the car as conditions of his bail.