Blackpool: From the courts 24-07-17

Phillip Parkes, 38, breaching the terms of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO)

A man defied the terms of a Sex Offender’s orders imposed on him after he was convicted of possessing child pornography.

Phillip Parkes invited two girls aged 19 and 16 to stay at his flat in Blackpool for several days at a time

Then he had a three-year-old girl to stay overnight.

Prosecutor Eddie Harrison told Blackpool Magistrates that 38-year-old Parkes, of Reads Avenue, had broken the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) imposed at Crown Court and which lasted for five years.

He infringed the terms by failing to tell the authorities that the two teenage girls had stayed with him for over 12 hours at a time.

He also broke the order by having the three-year-old at his home without supervision.

The prosecutor said that what Parkes had done surfaced after a routine visit to his home by police officers.

The officers questioned the girls and their parents and none knew of Parkes’ SOPO or past history.

One of them said Parkes had told him he had moved to Blackpool because he was in trouble over a fight.

Martin Hillson, defending, said his client admitted what he had done and said there had been no inappropriate behaviour by Parkes with any of the girls.

“The youngest girl was the daughter of one of his best friends and what he did was babysit her,” said Mr Hillson.

Magistrates heard that Parkes had a previous conviction for beaching the order when police caught him talking to children outside the Coral Island attraction.

Parkes was sentenced to 24 weeks jail suspended for two years and ordered to do 40 hours rehabilitation. He must pay £200 in costs.

Here is Friday’s round-up of cases at Blackpool Magistrates Court 21-07-17

Sammy Jo McDonald, 26, harassment

A woman who plit up with her partner bombarded him with messges.

Sammy Jo McDonald sent her ex texts, whatsapp messages and made phone calls.

McDonald, of Lindel Road, Fleetwood, admitted harassment.

McDonald, 26, was ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work for the community, placed on a one year community order.

She must undertake 15 days rehabilitation and pay £170 costs.

McDonald was also made the subject of a restraining order which forbids her from contacting her victim for two years.

Martine Connah,p rosecuting, said: “At times there were over 100 calls and texts a day.

“They had split up but there was a dispute over seeing their daughter.”

Ashley Fisher, defending, said: “The messages were not threatening but there was a great deal of them.”

Jamie McWilliams, 33, and Paul McCarrick, 37, assault

Two men took the law into their own hands when they spotted a thief who had stolen power tools a court was told.

Jamie McWilliams and Paul McCarrick had identified the thief from his picture at a pawnbroker’s where he sold the tools.

When they spotted him in the street they both punched him and then dragged him along the street.

McWilliams, a 33-year-old former serviceman, of Chesterfield Road, and McCarrick, a 37-year-old builder, of Egerton Road, both of Blackpool, each admitted assault.

They were both sentenced to a 12 months community order with up to 20 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service and ordered to pay £100 compensation to their victim with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge.

McWilliams was also ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work for the community and McCarrick to a four weeks curfew from 7pm to 6am.

Prosecutor, Martine Connah, said witnesses saw McWilliams grab a man near McColls shop, Egerton Road on June 19 at 9.30am.

The man fell to the floor and McWilliams punched him in the face. McWilliams was then seen on his phone and McCarrick arrived.

He also punched the man in the face.

Howard Green, defending McWilliams, said the complainant had stolen £800 of tools from McCarrick.

The two defendants had gone to a pawnbroker’s and seen photographic proof of the man selling the tools there.

McWilliams had then seen the man on the street.

There was no pre-mediation but there had been provocation before the assault.

Gary McAnulty, defending McCarrick, said his client had known the complainant for about a year.

The man had been down on his luck and McCarrick had invited him to his home and fed him.

When McCarrick was in hospital he had given the man the key to his home so he could look after his dog.

He returned to find his tools gone and he could not work.

Phillip Bennett - failing to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school.

A man allowed a 10-year-old boy to skip school a court was told.

Phillip Bennett, of Branstree Road, Mereside, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure a child’s regular attendance at school.

He was fined £145 with £120 costs and ordered to pay £30 victims’ surcharge.

Lynda Bennett, prosecuting for Blackpool Council, said the boy was a pupil at Marton Primary Academy.

His attendance at lessons there had been 85.9 percent between January 17 and May 12 this year.

The prosecutor added that persistent absence was defined as less than 90 per cent absence.

Nicola Hargan, 26, failing to comply with the conditions of a suspended prison sentence order.

A mother-of-two got into trouble when she failed to regularly carry out court-ordered unpaid work for the community at a charity shop.

Nicola Hargan, 26, of Penrose Avenue, Marton, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the conditions of a suspended prison sentence order.

She was sentenced to an additional 20 hours payback work and ordered to pay £60 costs.

The court was told she had previously been sentenced to 20 weeks jail suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 120 hours payback work for two offences of benefit fraud.

Cheryl Crawford, prosecuting for the probation service, said Hargan had failed to attend two appointments in June and had completed only 52 hours out of her 120 hours payback work.

Steven Townley, defending, said Hargan had organised for a relative to look after her 10-month-old baby while she did her payback work.

But at times the relative was under the influence of alcohol and not in a fit state to look after the baby, so she could not do the work.