Blackpool: From the courts 16-11-16

David Holloway, 30, and David Hart, 49, fraud

Two men employed by Fleetwood Town are alleged to have invented “ghost” supporters to carry out a fraud.

The charges relate to the period between July 1, 2015, and March 2016 at the League One club.

David Holloway was an operations manager at the club and David Hart worked in the ticket office.

Holloway, 30, of Rossall Grange Lane, Fleetwood and Hart, 49, of Eamont Place, Fleetwood, are charged with fraud on Fleetwood FC by making out false ticket refunds to fans who did not exist.

Blackpool Magistrates heard that both men no longer work for Fleetwood FC.

Holloway is alleged to have carried out illegal transactions amounting £4,696 the figure facing Hart is £3,857.

Both men were sent for trial at Preston Crown Court where they will appear on December 14. They were both bailed.

James Edward Rogerson, 26, causing death by driving without due care and attention

A man is to face a trial at Preston Crown Court over the death of a pensioner.

James Edward Rogerson is accused of causing the death of pedestrian Roy Leadbetter by driving without due care and attention.

The 26-year-old, of Game Farm, Station Road, Singleton, is alleged to have struck the 60-year-old decorator on March 18 on Garstang Road East, Poulton, while he was driving a Nissan Navarra car.

Mr Leadbetter, from Fleetwood, died from serious head injuries in the Royal Preston Hospital the day following the incident. Rogerson entered a not guilty plea to the charge in an appearance before Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

He is next expected to appear before Preston Crown Court on December 7 for a case management hearing after the bench committed the case to the higher court.

He was given unconditional bail.

Robert Whyte, 43, possession of indecent images of children

A father-of-one has been sent for Crown Court trial accused of four offences of the illegal possession of indecent images of children – some of it at the highest level.

Blackpool Magistrates sent Robert Whyte, 43, for trial at the higher court. He was bailed.

Whyte is accused of downloading photos and video clips between 2014 and 2016 in Blackpool. He is now living at The Square, Whittingham near Preston.

Martin Basnett, 55, assault

A 55-year-old Blackpool man has denied assaulting his partner.

Martin Basnett is charged with assaulting her at their home on Central Drive,Blackpool.

Basnett was bailed on condition he does not contact his alleged victim.

Blackpool Magistrates ruled that Basnett’s trial will take place on January 17.

Jack Staff. 21, assault

A man acting as a knight in shining armour to his girlfriend ended up punching a shopworker in the face.

Jack Staff went to escort his partner from work after she complained another worker had made unwanted advances towards her.

Staff, 21, of Branstree Road, Mereside, pleaded guilty to assault.

He was given a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £50 compensation with £85 costs plus £20 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said the victim said he had previously been in a relationship with Staff’s girlfriend.

Staff had gone into Sainsburys, Talbot Road, where the victim worked and after words were exchanged between them he was escorted out by security officers and told not to return.

On September 26 at 6pm the victim saw Staff in the shop and told him to leave. Staff said: “Who is going to make me” before punching the victim twice in the face cutting his lip.

Joseph Brogden, 30, drunk and disorderly

A man shouted at two officers that he hated the police and then called them pigs.

Joseph Brogden, 30, of Withnell Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly.

He was fined £40 and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said a police sergeant and constable were patrolling the resort’s Market Street on October 30, when Brogden started yelling insults at them.

He was told to calm down and go away but carried on shouting. He resisted when he was arrested. At the time of the offence he was on licence from prison.

Tony O’Donogue, 30, drug possession

A father-of-three was found unconscious in his ca with a bag of 112 Diazepam tablets.

O’Donoghue, 30, a waste management worker, of Hamlet Road, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to illegal drug possession.

He was given a 12 months conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 costs with £20 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates who ordered the destruction of the drugs.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said police were called to Broadway, Fleetwood, on September 6 at 11.45pm, where a member of the public said O’Donoghue was collapsed in a car. Police found the drugs, which were worth £112, in a bag in the car.

Gerry Coyle, defending, said over summer his client had become hooked on crack cocaine. This wrecked his long term relationship with his partner, the mother of his three children. They had broken up and he had gone to live with his father.

Linda Spruce, 63, drink-driving

A care worker had drunk a bottle of wine before she crashed her car into a parked vehicle.

Linda Spruce was almost three times over the limit after the accident and a member of the public confiscated her keys.

Spruce, 63, of Marlborough Road, South Shore, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

She was sentenced to a 12 months community order with an eight weeks curfew from 9pm to 6am, banned from the road for 24 months and ordered to pay £85 costs plus £85 victims surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Presiding magistrate, Ann Digman, told her: “This was a very serious misjudgement on your part.”

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said, police dealing with an incident on Bloomfield Road on October 29 at 9.20pm were approached by a member of the public who said a Toyota had collided with a parked car further up the road.

A breath test showed 92 micrograms of alcohol in Spruce’s body – 35 is the limit.