Before the courts: round-up of cases from Blackburn Magistrates

For reasons such as illegal home extensions to possession of offensive weapons and drugs, dozens of people have been called before magistrates.

Here is a round-up of our most read magistrates court cases from over the last week.

Couple dealt with for illegal extenstion

A COUPLE who added a dormer extension to their home without planning permission have been hit with a triple whammy.

Having paid for it to be built they now have to pay for it to be taken down and have also been hit with a financial penalty for not removing it quickly enough.

Safwan Ahmed, 41, and his wife Hamida Ahmed, of Harwood Gate, Blackburn, pleaded guilty at Blackburn magistrates to breaching an enforcement notice. They were fined a total of £350 with £222 costs and £68 victim surcharge.

You can read the full story here. 

Cannabis and weapon man found hiding in back alley

POLICE who attended a report of an incident in Countess Street, Accrington, found a man hiding in a back alley.

Blackburn magistrates heard Qais Amin tried to run off but was detained and officers discovered a quantity of cannabis and two knuckledusters.

Amin, 23, of Albert Street, Oswaldtwistle, pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in public and possession of cannabis. He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with 20 days’ Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 120 hours’ unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £85 costs.

You can read the full story here.

Drunk man's racial attack on police officers

A MAN spat at and racially abused four police officers as they tried to arrest him for being drunk and disorderly, a court has heard.

Blackburn Magistrates' Court was told how Daniel Craig Brown shouted racist abuse at the officers during the incident, which occurred outside a Burnley town centre pub.

Brown, 38, of Spencer Street, Burnley, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated threatening behaviour towards PC Arif, assaulting PC Taylor, racially aggravated assault of PC King, assaulting PC Montgomery, and assaulting PC Kelly during the incident.

You can read the full story here. 

Man who was on bridge bit the hand of man tying to save him

A MAN intending to commit suicide by jumping off a motorway bridge bit the hand of a man who tried to save him.

Blackburn magistrates heard Aaron Riley also attempted to bite a police officer who arrived on the scene shortly after and also tried to pull him from the wrong side of the bridge railings.

The court was told the civilian victim was left with permanent scars on his hand which he said were a reminder of what he described as a "sad day."

Aaron Riley, 35, of Elizabeth Street, Burnley, pleaded guilty to assaulting Michael Coleman and assaulting an emergency worker.

You can read the full story here.

Woman crashed car after drinking vodka on lunchbreak

A WOMAN who started drinking neat vodka in her lunch hour crashed into a parked car as she drove home from work.

Blackburn magistrates heard Juliet Gorton, who struggled to walk when she got out of her car, gave a breathalyser reading three and a half times the legal limit.

Gorton, 38, of Blackburn Road, Oswaldtwistle, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. She was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and made subject to a community order with 20 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and six months Alcohol Treatment Requirement. She was banned from driving for 40 months and ordered to pay £85 costs and £128 victim surcharge.

You can read the full story here