Latest convictions from Blackpool Magistrates Court - Friday, February 15, 2019

Shannon Leighton, 21, assault

A university student hoping for a career in social work carried out a sustained attack on a woman in a takeaway. Shannon Leighton pulled the victim’s hair, repeatedly hit her on the top of the head and threw a bottle at her which missed but showered her with beer.

Leighton, 21, of Caunce Street, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to assault.

She was sentenced to a 12 month conditional discharge with 80 hours unpaid work for the community and ordered to pay the victim £250 compensation.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a woman was with her boyfriend in Pizza Luigi’s, Dickson Road, when Leighton asked for a cigarette on July 20 last year.

The boyfriend gave her some money and Leighton went and bought some for him and he gave her one.

Leighton later came over and accused the man’s girlfriend of “slagging her off”. She then repeatedly pulled the victim’s hair and punched her. She was given a caution by the police on the condition she paid the victim £40 compensation but she did not pay.

In a report to the court a probation officer said Leighton, who was studying social work at university and did voluntary work with vulnerable groups, had been celebrating her birthday and been drinking.

Dennis Knowles, 33, burglary and fraud and Carl Allen, 35, burglary and fraud

Two men broke into the Stroke Unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital by using a concrete block to smash a window.

Dennis Knowles and Carl Allen then stole property from a staff room including a wallet with bank cards one of which they tried to use to buy cigarettes.

Knowles, 33, and Allen, 35, both of Yew Tree Road, Grange Park, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to burglary and to fraud by attempting to use a stolen bank card.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said on the evening of January 21, the defendants smashed a window to get into the Stroke Unit at Victoria Hospital. They took a jacket, fleece, two sets of keys, a rucksack, clothes and wallet containing bank cards and money from a staff room.

When caught and interviewed Knowles said he had done a “reccy” of the Stroke Unit and planned the burglary after he had relapsed into taking heroin. At the time of the offence he was on post prison sentence supervision.

Allan Cobain, defending Knowles, told magistrates his client had said he was very sorry for what he had done.

Mr Cobain said his client was asking to be remanded in custody as his drug use was out-of-hand and if he was bailed he would commit further offences.

John McLaren, for Allen, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had pleaded guilty immediately.

The defendants were sent to Preston Crown Court for sentence on March 13.

Knowles was remanded in custody and Allen on bail on the conditions he did not enter Victoria Hospital or go within 100 metres of the hospital except for a genuine emergency or medical reasons and kept a 7pm to 7am curfew at his given address.

Ross Cowling, 21, supplying drugs and possessing cannabis

A man told police he supplied his friend’s with the class B drug cannabis.

Ross Cowling, 21, of Branstree Road. Mereside, pleaded guilty to supplying drugs and possessing cannabis between May 11 and June 12 last year.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Cowling had been involved in having young males round to his address and supplying them with cannabis but not for profit.

Defence lawyer, Brett Chappell, said his client had no previous convictions.

Cowling had been interviewed by police over the possession of a small amount of cannabis and during the interview admitted that he had been supplying the drug. He said his friends would come round and he would given them cannabis to smoke.

Mr Chappell, defending, asked for a pre-sentence report on Cowling and added: “He has been using cannabis since he was 13 and his addiction is all engrossing to the extent it had affected his mental health and he had drug-induced psychosis.”

Cowling had his case adjourned to February 20 for sentence by magistrates.