Biggest cases heard in the magistrates' court this month

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A MAN making threats with a sword in public, a drug-driver caught after failing to attend a drugs test at a nuclear site and a takeaway customer who assaulted a staff member with a pizza are among the defendants to appear before Workington Magistrates' Court this month.
Sellafield worker stopped by police after failing to attend drugs test
Lee Clarke (Image: Newsquest)
A SELLAFIELD worker who failed to attend a drugs test at work was stopped by police after driving away from the nuclear site.
Lee Clarke, 40, was found to be more than 10 times over the limit for Benzoylecgonine – the body breakdown product for cocaine – after being pulled over on Mirehouse Road in Whitehaven.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said Clarke had been reported as leaving the Sellafield site and had failed to attend a drugs test on December 18 last year.
Police stopped the Ford Ranger he was driving and he was required to provide a specimen of saliva. He was then arrested and taken to the police station.
Glenn Scott jailed after making threats with sword in Egremont
Glenn Scott (Image: Newsquest)
A MAN who made threats to chop someone's head off while holding a large sword in the street later told police the blade 'was a stick'.
Glenn Scott, 51, was jailed for 14 months following the incident in Egremont which was caught on a neighbour's doorbell camera.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, read a statement from a witness who said she had got home from work and went into her living room at 11am. She could see a male outside on the pavement, arguing with somebody.
Sellafield drink-driver who crashed into wall returned to move car
Kelly Atkinson (Image: Newsquest)
A DRINK-driver who crashed into a garden wall and then returned to the scene to try and move her car has been banned from the roads for 30 months.
Kelly Atkinson, 44, was more than three and a half times the drink-drive limit when she crashed while attempting to get an Audi vehicle onto her driveway on May 10.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, read a statement from a neighbour who said their daughter had come home from work at 11pm and said someone had crashed into the wall opposite.
Maryport man who downloaded indecent images of young boys sentenced
Martin Ballantyne (Image: Newsquest)
A MAN who 'deliberately' searched for indecent images of young boys has been spared an immediate jail term.
Martin Ballantyne, 27 entered guilty pleas to the following charges when he appeared in court last month:
Making 29 Category A indecent images of a child – the most serious category of child abuse images
Making 11 Category B indecent images of a child
Making 17 Category C indecent images of a child
Prosecutor Pamela Fee said police received information from an external law enforcement agency that indecent images of children had been accessed from Ballantyne's home address.
Chattanooga: Takeaway worker assaulted by man throwing pizza
Mark Hall (Image: Newsquest)
A DRUNK takeaway customer who threw a pizza and salt and pepper chips at a member of staff was brought before a court for assault.
Mark Hall, 50, threw the food items at a female staff member who was working behind the counter of the Chattanooga in Frizington on the evening of March 9.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said Hall was in the shop and had ordered some food.
In a statement read to the court, the victim said when Hall came into the shop, he said, 'you're a hunting child' and made reference to her uncle. She said she wasn't. Hall had thrown a chip at her, which hit the top of her head.
Nuclear boss drove to hospital with foot injury after drinking wine
Stephen Teasdale (Image: Newsquest) A NUCLEAR boss drove to hospital while more than twice the drink-drive limit after cutting his foot on a wine glass, a court heard.
Stephen Teasdale, 46, was stopped by police while driving a Volkswagen Touareg along Homewood Road in Whitehaven while on his way to West Cumberland Hospital at 3.15am on March 16.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said officers had been following the vehicle, which kept braking and was reducing speed from 30mph to 15 to 20mph. The vehicle was also seen crossing the white lines.
CNC officer caught drink-driving in Workington
Luke Eneas (Image: Newsquest)
A NUCLEAR officer admitted he was drunk and would fail a breath test after being stopped by police due to his 'very poor' driving.
Luke Eneas, 23, was driving a white Volkswagen Polo at Hall Brow in Workington at 5.45am on May 4 when he was noticed by police.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said police followed the vehicle and the driving was described as 'very poor'.
Officers stopped the vehicle at Calva Brow and saw Eneas was bleeding from the chin. He didn't put the handbrake on and the car rolled backwards.
Sellafield employee caught drink driving at nuclear site
Desmond Dixon (Image: Newsquest)
A SELLAFIELD employee who drove to the nuclear site while under the influence of alcohol was caught after being confronted by a co-worker, a court heard.
Desmond Dixon, 64, has been banned from driving for more than three years after a court heard he was over the alcohol limit when he arrived for work on April 7.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said Dixon appeared to be under the influence of alcohol when he entered the nuclear site and was 'challenged' by a colleague.
Drunk and disorderly asylum seeker before court
Bako Hassanzada (Image: Newsquest)
AN ASYLUM seeker was 'drunk' and 'not aware what was happening' when he approached people in the street and made threats to police, a court heard.
Bako Hassanzada, 36, was 'intoxicated' and described as 'causing a nuisance' at Market Place in Egremont on the afternoon of May 12.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said police had received reports of a 'foreign male' approaching people in the street. Members of the public were concerned about his welfare.
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