Latest convictions from Blackpool's court - Wednesday, February 06, 2019

Paul Murphy, 46, breach of bail conditions

A man was arrested after his estranged girlfriend was found at his home by police.

Paul Murphy, a 46-year-old builder, of Winslow Avenue, Carleton, pleaded guilty to breaching a condition of his bail.

District Judge Jane Goodwin sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court refused to rebail him and remanded him in custody.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said Murphy had denied assaulting his girlfriend by attempting to strangle her and repeatedly punching her.

He was due for trial of this offence on March 13.

He had been bailed on the condition he had no contact with his girlfriend.

On February 3 police were contacted by the ambulance service which had called by a woman said to be having chest pains.

An officer went to Murphy’s home and found the girlfriend in his living room.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said his client had been going in and out of his home during a job he was doing.

He walked in and found his girlfriend there. He asked her to leave but she refused. She then said she was having chest pains and called an ambulance.

Jack Evans, 23, assaulting an emergency worker

A man who struggled when told he was being arrested punched a police officer about eight times in the head, a court was told.

Jack Evans was pepper-sprayed but carried on grappling with the policeman, who suffered a cut finger.

Evans, a 23-year-old apprentice plasterer, formerly of Ribble Road, Blackpool, now of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker.

He was sentenced to 14 days imprisonment and ordered to pay £115 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Jane Goodwin sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard that on February 2 police were called to Evans’s mother’s address.

He appeared to be under the influence of something and began punching out when told he was going to be arrested.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, told the judge the police officer said he had been punched in the head about eight times.

Gary McAnulty, defending, said his client had been on licence from prison at the time of the assault.

He was being recalled to prison and could be in jail until April 9.

When told he was going to be arrested he at first did as he was told and put his arms behind his back but then got upset and started resisting.

Katrina Wild, theft of meat and cheese

A Fleetwood woman who admitted shoplifting has been fined.

Katrina Wild of Radcliffe Road stole meat and cheese worth £42 from the town’s One Stop store.

Wild appeared before Blackpool Magistrates and pleaded guilty to the offence which took place last August.

She was fined £80 and ordered to pay £72 costs and compensation.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said: “She stole to sell the goods on.

“In the past her offending has cost her her family.”

Grant Sandiford, 33, theft and taking car without the owner’s consent

A Garstang man has been remanded in custody by Blackpool Magistrates.

Grant Sandiford, 33, of The Parklands, Catterall, near Garstang faces two allegations of shoplifting bottles of spirits from the Morrison’s store at Thornton Cleveleys.

He is also accused of taking his mother’s car without consent and not having insurance cover for it.

Blackpool Magistrates refused Sandiford’s application for bail and fixed the date of his trial for March 8 at Preston Magistrates Court.

Ian Goodman, 54, creating and distributing indecent images

A man accused of making and distributing child abuse images – some at the highest level of depravity – has made his first appearance at court.

Ian Goodman, 54, of Angela Street, Blackburn, faces eight offences said to have been committed before November 27 2017 at Blackpool.

He is accused of three charges of making indecent pictures of children, four charges of distributing such pictures and one charge of possessing extreme pornography involving an animal.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, asked for the case to be heard at crown court.

Defence lawyer, Gary McAnulty, said his client would not indicate pleas to the offences at that stage.

Goodman was bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on March 6 by Blackpool magistrates.