OUR regular round-up of people who have appeared in court recently. 

Animal ban

A MAN has been banned from keeping animals for three years after admitting to causing unnecessary suffering to a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Magistrates heard Jack Bottomley, 30, of Heather Bank, Burnley, failed to act and address a chest injury to the dog named Xander. He must pay £150 costs.

Cocaine buyer ‘was sold short’

A 44-YEAR-OLD man who had a grievance with his drug dealer armed himself with three knives and set off to slash the other man’s tyres.

Blackburn magistrates heard Christopher Alan Reid felt he had received a short measure when he purchased some cocaine.

He phoned his dealer but was angry with the response he got.

Reid, of Roman Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to possessing three knives in Bala Close. He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement, fined £15 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge.

Message led to damage

A MAN threw his partner’s phone against a wall after seeing a message on it from a former boyfriend.

Blackburn magistrates heard when police caught up with Martin Christopher Burns and he admitted the offence he had already paid for the mobile repairs. Burns, 35, of Stansfield Street, Darwen, pleaded guilty to criminal damage. He was given a conditional discharge for 12 months.

Tobacco raid

A BURGLAR who stole tobacco supplies has been given a curfew.

Magistrates heard how Jason Michael Perry, 44, of Swallow Drive, Blackburn, committed the offence at Alico Supplies in Blackburn on February 5.

Perry was given a six-week curfew.

Banned driver

A MAN was fined £120 for driving while disqualified.

Blackburn magistrates heard how John Terence Riley, 59, committed the offence on the A65, Ingleton, on December 13. Riley, of St Margaret’s Way, Blackburn, was given six penalty points and told to pay £85 prosecution costs.

Shoplifter’s booze theft missions

A 32-YEAR-OLD man who admitted nine offences of shoplifting either stole alcohol or other goods to sell to buy alcohol.

Blackburn magistrates heard Mark Farran got away with his haul on all but one occasion.

Farran, of Stuart Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to nine charges of shoplifting. He was sentenced to nine weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £115 victim surcharge.

Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said Farran had stolen goods worth £340 from Asda, £102 from Quality Save, £22 from Bodycare and £41 from Boots. A haul of alcohol worth £221 from Asda was recovered when he was detained at the store.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said Farran was experiencing difficulties with his benefits at the time of the offences. He has a number of problems and he needs to engage more fully with the probation service,” said Mr Taylor.

Drug pest banned from seeing dad

A 37-YEAR-OLD man continued to pester his dad for money to buy drugs despite being made subject to a restraining order which banned him from having any contact.

Blackburn magistrates heard within two weeks of the restraining order being made Mark Lee Milner had posted there notes through his dad’s letterbox and spoken to him from the back alley at the rear of his house.

Milner, of Cross Bank, Padiham, pleaded guilty to four charges of breaching a restraining order.

He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement and 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement. He was also fined £20 and ordered to pay £115 victim surcharge.

Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said Milner had been harassing his dad, Peter Milner, for money to fund his drug habit.

“The restraining order imposed on February 7 was put in place to protect his father but he has ignored it,” said Mr Robinson.

Phillip Turner, defending, said the underlying problem was drugs and Milner was trying to address it.

“He has an appointment with Aspire on Monday and hopefully he can move on from there,” said Mr Turner.

Homeless man was found drunk

A HOMELESS man who was trying to get blankets off a friend to keep him warm was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

Blackburn magistrates heard the prospect of a night in a warm cell was a relief for Martin Paul Ingham.

But the offence put him in breach of a suspended sentence order and he was given a four-week prison sentence.

Ingham, 37, of the Salvation Army Hostel, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in Infirmary Street.

Tracy Yates, prosecuting, said officers warned Ingham three times about his behaviour before he was arrested.

Man resists arrest of a ‘crime’ with no victim

A 25-YEAR-OLD man refused to be arrested by police investigating a “crime” with no complainant.

Blackburn magistrates heard David Ryan Dickson was parva sprayed and when that had no affect an officer used a knee strike before handcuffing him.

Dickson, who gave his address as a caravan on a farm in Deerplay, pleaded guilty to resisting a police officer and possessing cannabis. He was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £30 victim surcharge.

Andy Robison, prosecuting, police were called to a report of damage being caused to a car outside a Bacup takeaway. The owner of the car refused to make a statement and Dickson had left.

“The police traced him to his sister’s address in Bacup and when they told him he was being arrested he became aggressive. He was parva sprayed but that didn’t seem to do an awful lot and a knee strike was needed to get the handcuffs on.”

Nick Cassidy, defending, said there had been a complaint of a serious offence but when the police arrived there was no complainant.

“My client went to his sister’s and when the police arrived he tried to explain that he had done nothing wrong,” said Mr Cassidy. “Unfortunately they wouldn’t listen.”