Latest convictions from Blackpool's court - Friday, January 11, 2019

Samuel Stewart, 28, breach of post prison sentence supervision

A former prisoner broke the law because he disliked his probation officer a court was told.

Samuel Stewart, who was described as being verbally and behaviourally abusive to probation officers, believed his probation officer was setting him up to fail.

Stewart, 28, who is enrolled on a college catering course, of Johnson Road, Marton, pleaded guilty to breaching post prison sentence supervision.

After being sentenced to seven days jail, Stewart made a rude two-fingered gesture at the bench and shouted obscenities.

Charmain Price, prosecuting for the probation service, said after being released from prison Stewart was told to attend an appointment with his probation officer on November 9.

He did not go to that or subsequent appointments he was given on November 12 and 21.

Inquiries revealed he was not living at his given address as he was supposed to be. Officials got him into a bed and breakfast but he was evicted from there because of his anti-social behaviour.

The prosecutor said: “He has shown verbal and aggressive behaviour to probation officers.”

Kathryn Jamieson-Sinclair, defending, said her client had a history of mental health issues.

He had been sectioned in the past and had a learning deficiency.

She said: “He feels his probation officer has been setting him up to fail.

“He says he has rung his probation officer and she has not answered.”

Sinclair was now living at the given address of his mother’s home but she was in very frail health and he did not want people going round disturbing her.

Alan Parr, 32, criminal damage, breach of conditional discharges

A drunken man dented a taxi by kicking it in the run up to Christmas.

Alan Parr, 32, of Beach Road, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to causing damage and breaching two conditional discharges, one for being drunk and disorderly and one for assault.

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

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a taxi driver driving in Beach Road, Cleveleys, on December 23, at 1am, had to avoid Parr and his partner who were stumbling around in the road.

The cabbie was driving at a snail’s pace but Parr shouted at him to slow down before going over and kicking the side of the taxi.

Parr then walked off swinging punches at a group of men coming out of the Travellers Rest pub.

Adam Whittaker, defending, said Parr and his partner had had too much to drink.

His partner had pulled him out of the road when the taxi came along but he he only remembered being in the pub and then nothing until he woke up in the police cells.

Andrew D’earth, 53, theft and fraud

A man stole almost £1,000 of gold jewellery from an auction house in St Annes.

Andrew D’earth twice used bodily pressure to force open a display case near the entrance of Gerrards auction house and took three bracelets and a necklace.

He then went to a jewellers in Blackpool and sold some of the jewellery because he was in dire financial straits.

D’earth, 53, of Lonsdale Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to two offences of theft and two offences of fraud.

He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with 12 months drugs rehabilitation, put on a four months curfew from 7pm to 6am and ordered to pay £480 compensation.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said an antiques dealer at Gerrards noticed jewellery valued at £935 missing from a display cabinet and when he checked the CCTV he saw D’earth stealing items on October 30 and 31.

On November 1 the dealer saw D’earth walking down an alley at the rear of the auction house.

The dealer followed him and later, with his uncle, put the defendant under citizens arrest until police arrived.

D’earth told the dealer: “Just let me go. I can take you to the gold.”

Police later recovered most of the jewellery from a Blackpool jewellers where D’earth had sold it.

D’earth had a criminal record of 149 theft and similar offences and three previous frauds. At the time of the offences he was on licence from prison.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said his client had served a lengthy prison sentence and was released in July 2018.

After his release he moved address and because of that he was told he would have to reapply for his benefits and they were stopped.

D’earth got into rent arrears and spent the £400 he got for the jewellery on the arrears and other living expenses.