Latest convictions from Blackpool Magistrates' Court - Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Christian Lord, 32, possessing an offensive weapon

A martial arts enthusiast was found with an illegal weapon in his car when police stopped him. Christian Lord said he had bought the telescopic baton from a market where it was on open sale and used it in a martial arts class.

Lord, a 32-year-old scaffolder, of Red Bank Road, Bispham, pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to an eight weeks curfew from 8pm to 7am and ordered to pay £85 victims’ surcharge.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, said on November 11, Lord was stopped by police as he drove an Audi A4 on Oban Place, Bispham. At the side of the driver’s seat police found the baton in its case.

Paul Moore, 64, distributing indecent photographs of children, possessing prohibited images of a child and possessing pornographic images

A St Annes man distributed indecent images of children and was caught with hundreds of indecent pictures of children and hundreds of extreme pornographic images. Paul Moore, 64, formerly of All Saints Road, St Annes, now living in Eastbank Avenue, St Annes, pleaded guilty to five offences.

He admitted one charge of distributing indecent photographs of children, one charge of possessing 14 prohibited images of a child and one charge of possessing 580 extreme pornographic images. Moore also pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent pictures of a child - totalling 750 pictures - some at the highest level of depravity.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, asked for the case to be sentenced at crown court.

Moore was bailed to appear for sentence on March 20 at Preston Crown Court.

Bethany Cole, 22, obstruction

An anti-fracking campaigner was involved in a confrontation with a police officer who thought she was going stand in front of a lorry going into a gas exploration site.

The officer was forced to take 22-year-old Bethany Cole to the ground and hand-cuff her,.