These are the latest cases and convictions from Blackpool Magistrates' Court - Monday, November 18, 2019

This is the latest round-up of cases from Blackpool Magistrates' Court.
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Pierre Kroepflen, 57, drink-driving

A French actor who had been drinking fell off his motorbike in the street at Blackpool.

Pierre Kroepflen told a judge he did not normally drink but that night he had been told his wife was going to leave him.

Blackpool Magistrates' CourtBlackpool Magistrates' Court
Blackpool Magistrates' Court
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Kroepflen, 57, formally of Balmoral Road, Blackpool, now living in France, had the court proceedings relayed to him by interpreter and pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £240 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £32 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Jane Goodwin.

Prosecutor, Sazeeda Ismail, said a man on Clifton Street saw Kroepflen sitting on a motorbike and revving the machine for about five minutes, before driving seven feet and falling off the bike, on October 18 at 10.30pm. The witness took the bike keys and alerted police who found Kroepflen was unsteady on his feet with slurred speech.

A breath test showed 59 microgrammes of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit.

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Kroepflen told the judge: “I came out of a restaurant after having been told my wife was going to leave me.

“I went to the motorbike with the intention of going back to my hotel. I did not take off the disc lock on the wheel. That is the reason the motorbike fell over.

“I was going to take the tram home but I did not have time to as the witness took my keys.

“I’m not an alcoholic. I normally do not drink. It was just because I had had some upsetting news.”

John Lawson, 39, drink-driver

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A driver who had been drinking aroused the suspicion of police when he was heard sounding his horn behind a bus.

John Lawson, a chip shop worker, 39, of Winchester Avenue, South Shore, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was banned from the road for 18 months, fined £140 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £32 victims’ surcharge by District Judge Goodwin.

Prosecutor, Sazeeda Ismail, said on October 24 about midnight a police officer driving along Blackpool Promenade heard the sound of a horn and saw Lawson who was driving a Fiat Bravo appear to pull out on a bus.

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The officer followed him and Lawson then turned the wrong way into a one-way street.

He was unsteady when he got out of the car and a breath test showed he was more than twice the limit 80 milligrammes of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit.

Lawson, who had no previous convictions, said he had been drinking before deciding to move his car from the Promenade.

Aiden Riches, 22, assault

A man punched a store security guard who wanted to detain his girlfriend in a shop at Fleetwood.

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Aiden Riches, unemployed, aged 22, of Station Road, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to assault.

He was sentenced to a four weeks community order, put on a four weeks tagged curfew from 8pm to 8am and ordered to pay £50 compensation to the guard and £90 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Sazeeda Ismail, said a security officer at the One Stop store on September 1, at about 4.45pm, heard a woman in the shop say: “You can’t do anything while I’m in the shop.”

The guard saw the woman standing by the door of the shop and told a colleague not to let her out.

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Without warning, Riches punched the guard in the face and left with the woman. The guard was not injured.

Riches had 17 previous offences on his record including two for violence.

Patrick Nelligan, defending, said his client accepted he had been wrong and apologised for his behaviour.

Without Riches knowledge, his girlfriend had got involved with security staff at the store. When they wanted to detain her he lost his temper.

Reece Morrell, 24, assault

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A Blackpool man has been remanded in custody pending his trial for alleged assault. Magistrates remanded Reece Morrell, 24, of Dickson Road until his trial takes place on December 30.

Morrell is accused of assaulting a woman in Blackpool on November 4.

Samuel Stewart, 29, arson

A man accused of arson – setting fire to a car – has been further remanded.

Samuel Stewart, 29, of Park Road, Blackpool, also faces two allegations of criminal damage to the car and to a house and an offence of assault. He was remanded in custody until his trial takes place on December 5.