Latest convictions from Blackpool's court - Friday, August 17, 2018

Darren Wharton, 47, theft and breach of conditional discharge

A man stole food twice from the same supermarket because he could not make ends meet on benefits.

Darren Wharton, 47, of Reads Avenue, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to two offences of theft and one offence of breaching a conditional discharge for shoplifting.

He was fined £120 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £61 compensation plus £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Wharton took beef joints valued at £61 from Sainsbury’s, Talbot Road on June 2.

He returned to the store three days later and was apprehended after stealing £60 of beef. Peter Manning, defending, said his client’s benefits amounted to £200 a month and he could not survive on that amount so he turned to stealing food.

Kenneth Wallwork, 31, drink-driving and not driving in accordance wtih licence

Police stopped a man because they said he was driving erratically and found he was over the alcohol limit.Kenneth Wallwork, 31, of Harbour Lane, Warton, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol without insurance and not in accordance with his licence.

He was disqualified from driving for 16 months and fined £240 with £85 costs plus £30 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police saw Wallwork driving a Peugeot 308 erratically on Talbot Road, Blackpool, on July 20 at 3.50am.

A breath test showed he had 56 microgrammes of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit.

Deborah Kemp, 52, drink-driving

A driver who twice crashed into a parked car was more than two times over the alcohol limit.

Deborah Kemp, 52, of Kingston Avenue, South Shore, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

She was disqualified from driving for 20 months and fined £480 with £85 costs plus £48 victims’ surcharge.Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a man who had parked his VW Jetta on Harrowside on July 25, at 1.30pm saw Kemp driving very slowly towards his car in her Vauxhall Corsa.

The witness saw her hit the side of his car, roll back then drive forward and collide with his car again.

He approached Kemp to exchange details but she told him she had a lot of problems and drove off.

A breath test showed 87 microgrammes of alcohol in her body - 35 is the limit.

When interviewed Kemp, said she had drunk a bottle of wine before the crash and had not eaten.

John Lee, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, became friendly with a woman two or three years ago.

This woman drank a lot and as a result Kemp started to drink more until she found she was also drinking heavily.

In April after being in a job for 26 years her employer had smelt alcohol on her breath and she had been sacked on the spot.

Her problem had now been realised by her family who were supporting her and she was getting help from alcohol rehabilitation specialists.

Michaela Beckwith, 41, drink-driving

A nurse crashed her car into a lamp post at breakfast time when she was more than twice over the alcohol level.

Michaela Beckwith, 41, of Poachers Way, Thornton, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

She was banned from the road for 20 months and fined £340 with £85 costs plus £34 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said police were called to West Drive, Cleveleys, on March 25 at 7.45am where Beckwith had hit a lamp post with her Mazda 2 Sport.

She was injured and taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where a blood test showed 186 micligrammes of alcohol in her body - 80 is the limit.

When interviewed she said she had been drinking vodka for a couple of days and not eaten anything, adding that she had not drunk alcohol for 15 years before this binge.

Beckwith’s defence lawyer said his client had suffered mental health issues after contracting e-coli, spending 63 days on life support and having to undergo surgery.She had been working as a nurse at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on a trauma ward.

Because of her mental health issues she worked at present as an administrator at the hospital but hoped to return to the wards.

At the time of the offence she was going to her parents home to use the washing machine.

Cornelius Hargan, 54, assault

A man battered his girlfriend of 34 years over the head with a lamp after an argument about her drinking.

Cornelius Hargan also put his hands around her neck and attempted to strangle her.

Hargan, a 54-year-old grandfather, of Anderson Street, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.

He was sentenced to a two year community order with up to 40 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, ordered to take the Building Better Relationships Programme and told to pay £85 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge.