Latest convictions from Blackpool Magistrates Court - Wednesday, February, 13, 2019

John Cumine, 35, making offensive, menacing and obscene calls

A man has admitted using a racial slur against another man.

John Cumine made a series of phone calls to his former partner and her new boyfriend during which he used a racist term of abuse.

However, Neil White, prosecuting, said: “There is a rather unusual factor in this case – the fact that the male victim of what were racially offensive calls is white.

“In his statement he maintains that – stating his ethnicity is White British.

“However you can commit racially aggravated offences even though the person is white and could take offence.”

The prosecutor said that Cumine, 35, of The Crescent, St Annes, and the mother of his daughter had split-up.

She was living in Liverpool with her new partner.Cumine then started making phone calls – 18 of which the couple recorded in the space of three or four days.

In those calls Cumine used racist terms to describe his ex-partner’s new boyfriend.

The prosecutor said that because of the calls and an incident involving the daughter Cumine was made the subject of a non molestation order imposed by the Family Court. The calls resulted in the police being called in.

Allan Cobain, defending, said: “The defendant tells a rather different story about the phone calls. He says he was the subject of offensive remarks and was threatened with rape.

Cumine who admitted making offensive, menacing and obscene calls was put on a four month curfew.

He must do 10 rehabilitation days and pay £170 costs.

Stuart Mason, 46, breach of a restraining order

A man who bombarded his former girlfriend with emojis of hearts roses and kisses has been jailed.

Stuart Mason also emailed his ex “I love you” messages and she became so worried about his cyber-stalking she was frightened to open her emails. Mason, 46, of Chester Avenue, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to two offences of breaching a restraining order.

He was jailed for 44 weeks and ordered to pay £115 victims’ discharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Mason had previously been sentenced to a restraining order for harassing his ex.

The restraining order was made indefinite after he breached it on three occasions by contacting her.

Between January 26 and February 5, Mason bombarded his ex with emails.

On one there was a row of kiss emojis. On another email there were 35 rose and two heart emojis. Yet another email contained 68 rose, five heart and five kiss emojis.

In a victim impact statement Mason’s ex said that during the four-week period Mason was in custody on remand she felt safe and was getting back to normal, but once the emoji emails started she was frightened to answer her emails, her phone or the door in case it was Mason.

Steven Townley, defending, described the case as a sad one. Following two bereavements and the break-down of the relationship Mason’s mental health went downhill rapidly and he had been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

Mason had never approached his ex personally. He had just sent emojis and messages which were not threatening or intimidating.

Grant Horn, 27, failing to comply with bail conditions

A man accused of slashing a woman’s face was arrested after being found illegally in Blackpool.

Grant Horn broke a condition of his bail the same day magistrates agreed to allow him bail.

Horn, 27, of Crown Mews, Kirkham, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with bail. Magistrates agreed to rebail him.

The court was told that on February 9, Horn appeared at court and pleaded not guilty to an offence of assault causing actual bodily harm where a woman’s face was slashed.

He was bailed on the condition he lived at his Kirkham address and did not enter Blackpool except for Blackpool North railway station for the purpose of picking up his son and visiting his lawyers or court.

At 11.45pm police saw Horn going into a phone box on the resort’s Reads Avenue.

Steven Townley, defending, said his client had spent the day with his son at his former partner’s home in Blackpool.

He was walking to the railway station to get the train home when he saw the police officers. The officers view was he was skulking into the phone box so they went to talk to him and checks revealed he was breaking his bail.

The defence said Horn did not have the money to keep travelling from Kirkham to Blackpool, but an application for him to be allowed to change his address to one in the resort was refused by the bench.