These are the latest convictions from Blackpool Magistrates' Court - Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Chris Rossall, 67, drink-driving

A GP has been banned from the road after being caught almost three times over the drink-driving limit.

Police were tipped off that 67-year-old Dr Chris Rossall was drunk at the wheel of his BMW in a McDonalds car park on Preston Road,Lytham.

He was arrested and a breath test revealed that Dr Rossall of Bank Lane, Warton, had 99 micrograms of alcohol in his breath.

District Judge Jane Goodwin banned Dr Rossall from the road for two years and ordered him to pay fines and costs totalling £1,725.

The judge told Rossall, whose practice was the Medicom Centre ,Flintoff Way,Preston : “You now face losing your good character at the age of 67.

“You have worked for the community in the community and you have had a positive effect on people.”

The judge heard that Rossall’s earnings were £780-a-week.

He was now retired from medicine and rented out farms in Lancashire.

Laura Heywood, defending, said: “His personal circumstances have been very difficult. He was assaulted by his own son and now has non molestation order against that son.

“He has split up with his wife and formed a new relationship.

“He had been out with that lady and had a night’s sleep and drove to McDonalds thinking he was under the limit.”

A man was arrested after his former male partner asked him to go round and see their dog who was ill.

David Atkins, 52, of Lord Street, North Shore, pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order.

Prosecutor, Tracy Yates, said Atkins was made the subject of a restraining order which banned him from contacting his ex after he assaulted him, stamping on his abdomen and breaking one of his ribs.

On April 6, police discovered Atkins had seen his ex. The ex-partner told officers Atkins had contacted him and put pressure on him to stay with him.

Martin Hillson, defending, said that the couple had had a five-and-a-half year relationship until an incident in which Atkins assaulted his partner.

The partner left Blackpool but then returned and contacted Atkins, who at first refused to see him.

The defence added: “He says he was invited to go round to the complainant’s. When they had lived together they had a dog and his ex contacted Atkins saying the dog was unwell and could he come round.”

Atkins was bailed for pre-sentence reports.

He must live at his given address, keep a curfew there from 8pm to 7am, not enter the resort in the area bounded by General Street, Lansdown Place, Dickson and Springfield Roads, and have 24 hours monitoring by GPS as conditions of his bail.

Ashley Dodd, 26, breach of bail

A man who tried to set fire to a Blackpool address told a judge he did not break his bail and go out in the early hours.

Ashley Dodd said the day before he had had surgery to remove a kidney stone and he spent the whole night in bed.

Dodd, 26, of Lockerbie Avenue, Cleveleys, pleaded not guilty to breaching his bail by being out of his given address during his curfew.

District Judge Goodwin found the case against Dodd not proved.

Prosecutor, Tracy Yates, said Dodd had pleaded guilty to attempted arson with intent to endanger life at a Blackpool address.

He was on conditional bail and due to be sentenced on the attempted arson charge on May 3 at Preston Crown Court.

A condition of his bail was he should keep a tagged curfew at his home between 8pm and 7am.

On April 4, the company monitoring his tag said it showed Dodd was not present at his address between 2.49am and 3.10am.

Dodd said after previously being accused of breaching his bail by not keeping his curfew and being acquitted of that offence he had complained to the tag monitoring company their equipment could not be working properly, but no-one came to examine it.

He added that on April 3 he had surgery for a kidney stone and on April 4 went to bed before 7pm and woke up about 6pm. He provided a medical note from the hospital.

Lee Jones, 30, assault

A man accused of pinning his girlfriend to a sofa by putting his arm across her neck has appeared at court.Lee Jones is also said to have headbutted her, repeatedly punched her and dragged her across a room where she fell on a table.

Jones, 30, of Eaves Street, North Shore, pleaded not guilty to assault. The offence is said to have taken place at the home the couple shared in Blackpool on April 5. He was remanded until May 31.