These are the latest convictions from Blackpool Magistrates' Court - Monday, April 15, 2019

Lauren Heaton, 30, guilty of knowingly failing to ensure a child’s attendance at school

A woman did not ensure a nine-year-old girl regularly went to lessons at her Blackpool primary school.

Lauren Heaton, 30, of Canterbury Avenue, Marton, was found guilty of knowingly failing to ensure a child’s attendance at school after a trial in her absence.

Heaton’s case was adjourned to April 24 by Blackpool magistrates so she could appear at court for sentence.

Sharon Davies, prosecuting for Blackpool Council’s Education Department, said the case concerned a nine-year-old girl who was a pupil at Waterloo Primary Academy.

The girl’s attendance was 84.78 percent and she had 26 unauthorised absences out of 184 sessions between September 24 last year and February 27 this year.

Heaton was said to have told the pupil welfare officer she had mental health issues.

On one occasion Heaton said the child had a sickness bug and on another occasion the defendant would not let the pupil welfare officer in to discuss the child’s persistent absences.

Heaton had two previous offences of failing to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school.

Lynette Buckland, 34, failing to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school

A woman has been ordered to pay financial penalties totalling £846 after a trial in her absence over allowing a child to play truant.

Lynette Buckland, 34, of Carlton Road, St Annes, was found guilty of failing to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school.

She was fined £660 with £120 costs and ordered to pay £66 victims’ surcharge.Cullum O’Donnell, prosecuting for Lancashire County Council’s Education Department, said the case involved a 12-year-old boy who was said to have been given home tuition the previous year, but enquiries revealed no home tuition had been given.

The boy was then registered at Lytham St Annes High Technology and Performing Arts College.

The boy attended just two out of a possible 140 attendances at school between September 17 last year and January 25 this year.

The prosecution added the boy was going to be home educated again.

Bradley Wint, 20, driving while disqualified

A banned driver was seen reversing a car down a cul-de-sac by police.

Bradley Wint, a 20-year-old bricklayer, of St Michaels Close, Bispham, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified.

His current driving ban was extended by six months and he was fined £420 with £85 costs plus £42 victims’ surcharge.Prosecutor, Carl Gaffney, said Wint had been banned from the road in January but on March 12 at 10.30pm police saw him reversing a Vauxhall Insignia on Imperial Street.

Howard Green, defending, said the car had been bought for Wint by his father and had been parked up on the street for some time. It had suffered some damage so Wint repaired it and drove it a very short distance just in the cul-de-sac to check the engine.

Nathan Jackson, 23, possessing Class A drugs

A man found with drugs had lost the chance to do a course he had been accepted on to become a protection officer, a court was told.

Nathan Jackson was found with cocaine in the car he was driving while he was banned from the road.

Jackson, 23, of Hill Street, South Shore, pleaded guilty to possessing class A drugs and driving while disqualified without insurance.

He was sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 15 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service, ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work for the community, had six motoring penalty points put on his licence and told to pay £85 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge.

On the drugs offence he was given a 12 months conditional discharge which will enable him to reapply for the protection officer’s course when the discharge is spent.

Prosecutor, Carl Gaffney, saidJackson had been disqualified from driving for an offence of drug driving with cannabis in his system in September last year.

On March 2 police stopped him as he drove a VW Golf on Ashburton Road and found a small amount of cocaine in the car which Jackson said was for his own use.Howard Green, defending, said his client could not believe he had been so stupid as to drive a friend’s car a short distance.

The drugs offence had stopped him taking a training course to be a protection officer he had been accepted on.

Richard Layfield, 37, assault

A visitor accused of headbutting his girlfriend at a Blackpool hotel has made his first appearance at court.

Richard Layfield, 37, of Crossways, Wirral, pleaded not guilty to assault on April 6.

He was refused bail and remanded in custody towards his trial on May 15.

by District Judge Jane Goodwin sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.