Latest convictions from Blackpool's court - Monday, October 08, 2018

Maria McConkey, 30, breach of a suspended prison sentence order

A woman failed to keep appointments with her probation officer after a previous conviction.

Maria McConkey, 30, of Lindel Grove, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to not complying with the conditions of a suspended prison sentence.

She was sentenced to do an extra 20 hours payback work and ordered to pay £60 costs by Blackpool magistrates who described her record of complying with the sentence as “shameful.”

Cheryl Crawford, prosecuting for the probation service, said last year McConkey was sentenced to eight weeks jail suspended for 12 months with up to 20 days rehabilitation plus 60 hours unpaid work for the community.

On August 17 she failed to keep a booked appointment in Blackpool and on August 28 did not attend a meeting with her probation officer.

So far, McConkey had kept three appointments out of the 11 she was offered, had done no rehabilitation days and still had 59 hours payback work to do.

Paul Huxley, defending, said McConkey had moved to Blackpool to be closer to her family so she could have more support.

She had problems finding accommodation and prioritised that instead of her court sentence. McConkey and her partner now had a permanent address.

Edward Plumb, 27 breach of suspended prison sentence order

A man could not keep some appointments with his probation officer because he was in hospital a court was told.

Edward Plumb also missed an appointment after getting upset when his ex-partner described her new boyfriend as the father of their children.

Plumb, 27, of St Heliers Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to breaching a suspended prison sentence order.

He was fined £80 by magistrates who described his approach to the order as “cavalier” and said he was lucky the probation service was giving him another chance to work with them.

Cheryl Crawford, prosecuting for the probation service, said Plumb had been sentenced to 18 weeks jail suspended for two years with up to 35 days rehabilitation for two assaults and theft offences.

On July 26 and August 3 and 9 Plumb failed to keep appointments with his probation officer and did not provide any evidence for not attending.

Suzanne Mugford, defending, said during two of the appointments her client had been in hospital, but he discharged himself without getting the paperwork from the doctors so he could not provide evidence of that to the probation service within the required five days.

After the offences leading to the suspended prison sentence his former girlfriend would not let him contact the children.

His ex then started describing her new boyfriend as the father of the children.

Plumb was extremely upset by that and missed the next appointment with his probation officer.

Jordan Whatmough, 21, breach of court order

A man sentenced to do payback work for burgling a former employer’s restaurant missed appointments to carry out the work.

It was the third time Jordan Whatmough had breached the court order.

Whatmough, 21, of Marlhill Road, Grange Park, pleaded guilty to not complying with a community order.

He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with 250 hours unpaid work for the community and ordered to pay £60 costs.

Cheryl Crawford, prosecuting for the probation service, said Whatmough had originally been sentenced to a 12 months community order with 200 hours payback work for burglary.

Whatmough had been sacked from the West Coast Rock Cafe but returned there and stole £660 from the restaurant safe.

He missed appointments to do payback work on August 22 and 30. On one occasion he said he had not received the email telling him of one appointment date and on the other appointment date he had a job interview.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said his client’s burglary offences and two previous breaches of the community order were Whatmough’s only convictions and he had little experience of the criminal system.

Whatmough had been working at a bar into the early hours and had struggled to get up to do the payback work.

His job now entailed finishing earlier in the evening.