Latest convictions from Blackpool Magistrates' Court - Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Andreas Amirotou, 26, downloading and possessing indecent images of children

A man has appeared at court facing four charges of downloading and possessing indecent images of children.

Andreas Amirotou, 26, of Campbell Avenue, Layton, faces three allegations of downloading indecent pictures and one of possessing a similar image.

The defendant was granted bail by District Judge Jane Goodwin, who sent Amirotou for trial at Preston Crown Court where he will appear on January 9 next year.

Boy, 17, burglary, theft, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance and attempting to steal

A teenage boy has appeared at court accused of committing a mini crime wave in the run up to Christmas.

The 17-year-old from Blackpool, who can not be identified for legal reasons, is said to have carried out burglaries and taken a car which he crashed into two parked cars and a brick wall.

He is charged with burgling an address on Scorton Avenue, Layton, with intent to steal, attempted burglary of a property on Warbreck Drive, North Shore, and attempting to steal items from a motor vehicle in Blackpool.

The teenager is also accused of the aggravated taking of a Lexus SC430 convertible damaging it and driving the car without insurance.

He is alleged to have committed the offences between November 27 and Sunday.

The teenager was bailed to the resort’s youth court. He must live at his given address and keep a 7pm to 7am curfew.

Richard Sleet, 35, theft

A man was caught red-handed by police as he and an accomplice stole copper wire from a site on the beach at Fleetwood Docks.

Richard Sleet, 35, who gave a care of address of Kent Street, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to theft and failing to answer bail to attend court.

He was given a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £50 costs plus £20 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a member of the public alerted police on April 28, about 9.45am, to two men stealing copper wiring at the docks.

Police saw Sleet and another man stripping copper from wire at the site.

The accomplice had a Stanley knife and a hacksaw was found in a hold-all the duo had. Sleet had a record of 51 thefts and similar offences.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said his client, who had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, had not been able to attend court at first because he was in hospital.

After being discharged he was still unwell and unable to get to court but did not provide medical evidence and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

Once he felt well enough Sleet had handed himself in.

Sleet, who had had a long-term drug problem which was the reason for his offending, was now getting rehabilitation help from specialists.

Kevin Andrews, 50, failing to comply with a community order

A former Blackpool hotel manager failed to do any payback work imposed after he broke a man’s nose.

Kevin Andrews did not carry out the court’s sentence because he got another job as a HGV driver working away for weeks at a time around Europe.

Andrews, 50, formerly of Alexander Road, South Shore, now living at Exeter Close, Kidderminster, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a community order.

His case was adjourned for sentence.

Charmain Price, prosecuting for the probation service, said Andrews had been sentenced to a 12 month community order with 160 hours unpaid work for the community for an offence of assault causing actual bodily harm.

He was sent appointments on October 12 and 17 to be inducted onto the order but had not attended either and completed no hours of the payback work.

Brett Chappell, defending, said at the time of the assault, which was not domestic and involved a single punch which broke a man’s nose, Price and his partner were running a bed-and-breakfast hotel in Blackpool.

Emma Henstock, 29, driving while over the alcohol limit and child neglect

A woman seen driving around in circles for a long time was more than twice the alcohol limit.

Emma Henstock was then found to have left a four-year-old boy she was meant to be looking after, alone when she was seen driving round.

A breath test showed she was more than twice over the limit with 89 microgrammes - 35 is the legal limit. Henstock, 29, of Fleetwood Road, Thornton, pleaded guilty to driving while over the alcohol limit and child neglect.

She was bailed to January 10 for pre-sentence reports with all options including custody to be considered.

She was banned from the road in the meantime.