These five defendants have appeared in court this week

Here are the latest cases from the region's courts: SMALLTHORNE: Drink-driver Benjamin Lunt has been banned from the roads for two years. The 21-year-old was stopped by police driving on Longport Road, in Longport[1], at 1.45am on October 8.

Prosecutor Suzanne Swindail told North Staffordshire Justice Centre[2]: "Police had suspicions that he had been drinking and requested a roadside breath test. It gave a positive result. He was arrested and taken to custody.

An evidential sample of breath was taken and it gave a reading of 94 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, nearly three times the legal limit of 35." Lunt, of Zamenhof Grove, Smallthorne[3], pleaded guilty to drink-driving. Mark Harrison, mitigating, said: "He accepts he made an error of judgement and asks you to accept it was very much a one-off incident.

He has no previous convictions. There was no accident. He is going to lose his licence, which will cause him difficulties."

Magistrates sentenced Lunt to a 12-month community order with 100-hours unpaid work. His ban will be reduced by 24 weeks if he completes a drink-drivers' rehabilitation course. Lunt must also pay GBP135 costs and a GBP114 surcharge.

BENTILEE: Monkey dust user Terrence Gamble has been handed an absolute discharge after being found in possession of the class B drug. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the 34-year-old had been arrested in relation to an unrelated matter on December 30 last year. Prosecutor Suzanne Swindail said: "He was searched and a wrap of suspected monkey dust was found in his possession.

He was arrested. A more thorough search was undertaken at custody and a further small wrap was found on his person." In his police interview Gamble said it was monkey dust and it was for personal use.

Gamble, of Dividy Road, Bentilee[4], pleaded guilty to possession of a class B drug. Andrea Wilkes, mitigating, said: "It was a small amount of monkey dust and it was for his own personal use. At the time he was using it regularly to deal with the loss of his father and wife."

She added that Gamble has since served a prison sentence. Magistrates handed Gamble the absolute discharge and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs. STOKE-ON-TRENT: Thirty-one-year-old Ntensis Likollari has admitted possessing a Greek driving licence with improper intention on November 9.

But he has denied obtaining leave to remain in the UK by deception on July 5. He has also denied possessing an identity document with improper intention - a Greek ID card - on the same date. His trial will be held at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court[5] on May 7.

Likollari, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody. WOLSTANTON: Thirty-five-year-old Michael Hughes, of Lily Street, Wolstanton[6], has admitted two charges of burglary. He has also pleaded guilty to four charges of theft and taking a conveyance without authority.

Hughes will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court[7] on January 9. He was remanded in custody until that date. KEELE: Teenager Ibraheem Akhtar has denied assaulting an emergency worker.

The 18-year-old, of Fairhope Avenue, Salford, has denied assaulting a police officer at Keele Services[8] on May 5. His trial will be held at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on October 17. Akhtar's bail was extended.

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References

1. ^ Longport (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
2. ^ North Staffordshire Justice Centre (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
3. ^ Smallthorne (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
4. ^ Bentilee (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
5. ^ Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
6. ^ Wolstanton (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
7. ^ Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
8. ^ Keele Services (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
9. ^ COURT AND CRIME NEWSLETTER: Sign up for email (data.reachplc.com)
10. ^ alerts direct to your inbox (data.reachplc.com)