Five North Staffordshire defendants who’ve appeared in court this …
Here are the latest cases from the region’s courts:
BRADWELL:
Banned driver Jiri Tancos was caught speeding on two separate occasions. The 56-year-old Czech national was caught speeding on the M6 in Staffordshire on February 26.
Prosecutor Emma Thompson told North Staffordshire Justice Centre[1]: “He was doing 98mph in a 70mph zone on the M6 in a Volkswagen Passat. He was disqualified and had no insurance.
“The second incident was on March 19 on the A500. He was speeding, travelling at 61mph in a 50mph zone. He was driving while disqualified and without insurance.
READ: Bully boyfriend strangled his Snapchat lover in vicious attack[2]
“He immediately accepted he was the driver on both of these occasions. He was disqualified as a totter on January 6. He was disqualified for six months. However, he was not present in court.”
Tancos, of Bradwell Lane, Bradwell[3], pleaded guilty to two charges of driving while disqualified; two charges of speeding; and two charges of driving without insurance.
Jiri Tancos, aged 56, admitted two charges of speeding, two charges of driving while disqualified and two charges of driving without insurance.
Arif Hussain, mitigating, said the court wrote to Tancos at an old address in Shelton[4] and he did not attend court when he was disqualified on January 6.
Mr Hussain said: “Just because he did not know does not give him a defence. I hope you accept he was not aware. He is of previous good character.”
Magistrates adjourned the case so an ‘all-options’ pre-sentence report can be prepared on Tancos. He will learn his fate on August 16 and his unconditional bail was extended.
BENTILEE:
Fraudster Jonathon Williams ordered more than £3,000 worth of goods using the name of a man from his former workplace. The 35-year-old committed four offences of fraud between October 23 and November 2 by purchasing goods by purporting to be an employee of Bartec Engineering.
North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard he bought products from Timberland DIY worth £420.56 on October 23; worth £216.74 on October 24; and worth £91.20 on November 2. He also bought goods worth £2,448 from FWB Products Limited on October 27.
Prosecutor Emma Thompson said: “He has gone in to order goods on an account of Bartec Engineering. He is a previous employee of Bartec Engineering. He knew somebody who worked there. The total amount of the goods was £3,176.”
Williams, of Aylesbury Road, Bentilee[5], pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud by false representation.
Paige Morgan, mitigating, said Williams has had a difficult year. He lost his father and was going through financial stress. She added: “He had a gambling addiction and is still seeking help for it.”
Magistrates adjourned the case for an ‘all-options’ pre-sentence report to be prepared on Williams. He will learn his fate on August 17 and his bail was extended.
WESTON COYNEY:
Drug-driver Kevin Sumner has been banned from the roads for 12 months. The 41-year-old was pulled over by police as he drove a Skoda Felicia in Victoria Road, Fenton[6], at 11.40am on January 11.
Prosecutor Hayden Singh told North Staffordshire Justice Centre: “Police noted his speech was slow and his eyes were glazed. A drug swipe tested positive. He was arrested and taken to the police station where he gave a blood sample. It gave a reading of 3.7 micrograms of THC (a chemical in cannabis) in a litre of blood, against the legal limit of 2.”
Sumner, of Weston Coyney Road, Weston Coyney[7], pleaded guilty to drug-driving.
Iain Haley, mitigating, said there were no signs of bad driving. Sumner has a broken wrist and self medicates by eating cannabis cakes in the evening. Mr Haley said: “He does not smoke cannabis. He does not drink. He does not take any drugs.”
He added that Sumner restores classic vehicles and employs 10 people. Magistrates fined Sumner £448 and ordered him to pay £135 costs and a £179 surcharge.
KIDSGROVE:
Thirty-eight-year-old Gary MacDonald has been hit with an £885 court bill after he was threatening and abusive to police officers. North Staffordshire Justice Centre[8] heard police attended a woman’s home following a report of a domestic incident on January 7.
Prosecutor Emma Thompson said MacDonald was arrested. She said: “He became abusive and confrontational. He was verbally aggressive to three officers.
“While in the holding cell he started to call the officer a ‘fag’. He was warned if he did it again he would be arrested. For the third time he called him a ‘fag’. He was arrested.”
In a victim statement the officer said he does not go to work to have his sexuality questioned in such an aggressive manner. In his police interview MacDonald said he was aware it was homophobic and it would have caused distress. He said he was sorry for what he had done.
MacDonald, of Hillary Road, Kidsgrove[9], pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour. Iain Haley, mitigating, said the woman had made an unfounded allegation against MacDonald.
He said: “He should not have made unpleasant comments to the officer. Through me he apologises to the officer. He apologies to the court for his behaviour.”
Mr Haley acknowledged that the homophobic comments would lead to an uplift in the sentence. Magistrates fined MacDonald £500 and ordered him to pay £50 compensation to the officer; £135 costs and a £200 surcharge.
LICHFIELD:
Thirty-year-old Jack Moxon has been banned from the roads for 17 months after he admitted drink-driving. North Staffordshire Justice Centre[10] heard he was stopped in Lichfield on May 22.
Prosecutor Hayden Singh said: “He smelt heavily of drink. He failed a roadside breath test and was arrested. He provided two samples and his lowest reading was 61 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, against the limit of 35.”
Moxon, of Eastern Avenue, Lichfield[11], pleaded guilty to drink-driving. Arif Hussain, mitigating, said Moxon had stayed with a friend after a night out. In the morning he believed he was under the limit.
Mr Hussain said: “But clearly he wasn’t. Initially he did the right thing not driving and stayed with a friend. Not realising the level of alcohol in his system he drove a short distance.”
Magistrates fined Moxon £120 and ordered him to pay £135 costs and a £48 surcharge. His ban will be reduced by 17 weeks if he completes a drink-drivers’ rehabilitation course.
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References
- ^ North Staffordshire Justice Centre (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ Bully boyfriend strangled his Snapchat lover in vicious attack (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ Bradwell (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ Shelton (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ Bentilee (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ Fenton (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ Weston Coyney (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ North Staffordshire Justice Centre (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ Kidsgrove (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ North Staffordshire Justice Centre (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ Lichfield (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ COURT AND CRIME NEWSLETTER: Sign up for email alerts direct to your inbox (data.reachplc.com)