Latest convictions from Blackpool's court - Friday, August 03, 2018

Charles Swales, 20, aggravated vehicle taking, failing to stop after an accident, driving with no insurance

A man took his sister’s car and injured a driver after smashing into the back of her vehicle.

Charles Swales then drove off from the accident scene as the woman driver was taken to hospital with a whiplash injury.

Swales, a 20-year-old trainee engineer, of Chatsworth Avenue, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to the aggravated taking of a Range Rover, failing to stop after an accident and having no insurance.

He was sentenced to do 200 hours unpaid work for the community, disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay the accident victim £300 compensation with £85 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said a woman driving a Ford Fiesta with her daughter, sister and partner as passengers had stopped on Victoria Road East, Thornton, on April 21 at noon, when Swales crashed into the rear of her car.

Swales then squeezed the Range Rover he was driving past her car said sorry and left. He returned to the scene later after police arrived.

In a victim impact statement to the court the injured woman said the incident had made her anxious and nervous about driving.

She had to go to her doctor to get medication and painkillers.

Swales had his sister’s house keys because he was looking after the dogs.

When she heard what he had done she returned home from a holiday early.

The incident had caused tension in the family and the sister had to pay more than £1,500 to get her car repaired.

Howard Green, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, thought he would do his sister a favour by taking the Range Rover to a car wash while she was away then it would be clean for her return.

Mr Green added: “His act of folly has had an enormous impact on him and the family.”

Campbell Simpson, 24, assault causing actual bodily harm and assault

A company boss punched two brothers, flooring both in a Poulton town centre takeaway.

Campbell Simpson left one brother with a cut under his lip which will scar and the other brother suffering severe dizziness which kept him off work two weeks.

Simpson, 24, of Valencia Road, Bispham, the boss of an aerial fixing company, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm on one brother and assault on the other brother.

He was sentenced to 20 weeks jail, suspended for a year, ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work for the community, put on a three months curfew from 9pm to 6am on Fridays and Saturdays and ordered to pay a total of £700 compensation to the brothers with £85 costs plus £115 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said the two brothers were in a Poulton takeaway in the early hours on August 8, last year, when Simpson, who they did not know, came up and started talking to them.

One brother said without warning Simpson punched him to the floor.

He got up with blood running down his shirt and found he had an inch-and-a-half gash below his lower lip.

The other brother said Simpson also punched him without warning. He fell hitting the back of his head on a hard bench.

Both brothers received hospital treatment.

CCTV footage of the incident was played on the courtroom television screens.

Michael Gowans, 52, theft

A man with an long criminal record has been sent to prison again.

Michael Gowans, 52, who comes from Blackpool but is currently of no fixed address was jailed for four weeks.

Gowans pleaded guilty pleaded guilty to two shoplifting offences at Aldi on Squires Gate Lane involving goods valued at £164.

His lawyer Brett Chappell said: “He has been taking drugs such as heroin from the age of 10. He now realises this is no life and wants a home of his own.

“He wants to take the opportunity to come off heroin whilst in prison.”

Paul Smith, 48, breach of restraining order and breach of suspended jail sentence

A man has paid the penalty for breaking the terms of a restraining order just days after it was imposed.

Paul Smith, 48, was supposed to have no contact with his ex partner but after they met in a town centre bar ended up going home with her.

It was only when her son found out what had happened that he tipped off police that the coupe were going to a bingo hall and Smith, of Warbreck Drive, Bispham, was arrested.

As well as breaching the restraining order he was also in breach of a 16 week suspended jail term imposed for assaulting the woman.

Magistrates invoked the suspended sentence and Smith was sent to prison.