These are the latest cases and convictions from Blackpool Magistrates' Court - Thursday, December 5, 2019

Theresa Finch, 43, fraud

A woman has denied defrauding an elderly man’s bank account out of £6,000.

Theresa Finch, 43, of Bond Street, South Shore, is charged with the illegal use of her alleged victim’s bank account from October 1 to November 22 this year.

Magistrates sent her for trial at Preston Crown Court where she will appear on January 3.

She was bailed on conditions he does not contact the male pensioner and does not go near his Lytham

Martin Parsons, 40, theft

A 40-year-old Blackpool man stole a new vacuum to repay a debt.

Martin Parsons of Pleasant Street, North Shore, took the £99.99 product from the town’s main Sainsbury’s store.

He admitted the offence and magistrates deferred sentence on him to see whether he could beat his addicition to alcohol and drugs.

Parsons returned to the court where magistrates heard from the Probation service that Parsons had “demonstrated positivity” during his appointments with them.The court added 10 extra rehabilitation days to his community sentence and ordered him to repay the store £99.99 and fined him £10.

William Davidson, 24, drink-driving and no insurance

Acompany boss was over the alcohol limit after friends took him out to try and cheer him up after a death in the family.

William Davidson, the head of a steel erecting business, 24, of Little Tongues Lane, Preesall, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol without insurance.

He was banned from the road for 36 months, fined £925 with £85 costs and ordered to pay £92 victims’ surcharge. Prosecutor, Sazeeda Ismail, said police saw Davidson driving a BMW at speed on Garstang Road, on November 17. A breath test showed 40 microgrammes of alcohol in his body - 35 is the limit.

He had a previous conviction for drink-driving from 2017.

Gerry Coyle, defending, said a number of days before the offence Davidson’s grandmother had died.

In an attempt to cheer him up, friends had taken him out and he had a meal with two to three lagers.

The friend whose car they were in later felt unable to drive, so the defendant, who felt totally in control, decided to drive.

Lee Chisnall, 33, posession of cocaine

A man at a low ebb after splitting-up with his girlfriend was found with drugs. Lee Chisnall, 33, of Troughton Crescent, Marton, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine.

He was fined £80 with £50 costs and ordered to pay £32 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Sazeeda Ismail, said Chisnall was arrested on October 18 , and found with 10 small bags of cocaine.

He said he had paid £190 for the drugs for his own use. He said he had wanted to enjoy the drugs and have a good time. He had a record of 40 previous offences.

Steven Townley, defending, said at the time his client was at a low ebb as he had split up with his partner, so he turned to drink and drugs.

He was having problems with his mental health and his son was taken into care.

Chisnall said it was only a short time when he was taking drugs.

Kyle Wood, 33 and Christopher Horrocks, 31, threatening behaviour

A man was seen fighting with another man near a grass verge in St Annes after losing his phone.

Kyle Wood, 33, of no fixed address and Christopher Horrocks, 31, of Brooklands Road, Ansdell, both pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour.

Wood also admitted possessing cocaine.

Wood was fined £349 and Horrocks fined £80. Both were ordered to pay £85 costs with £32 victims’ surcharge by magistrates who ordered the destruction of the drugs.

Prosecutor, Sazeeda Ismail, said in the evening of November 16 police received a report of a group of men fighting in St Annes.

When officers arrived nothing was going on and the defendants plus some friends denied being involved.

Later on Wood and Horrocks returned, appeared to be searching for something and then started throwing punches at one another.

When searched at the police station a small bag with traces of cocaine in it was found in Wood’s pocket.

Hugh Pond, defending, said his client had been to St Annes Ex-Servicemen’s Club with friends and after leaving there found he had lost his new phone.

He and a friend went back to a grass verge to look for it and there was some pushing and shoving between them.Wood was not a drug user and did not know where the bag with traces of cocaine in had come from.

Stephen Duffy, defending, told magistrates: “It was in effect a play fight which got out of hand.”