IN COURT: The latest news and appearances from North Staffordshire's courts

BURSLEM

Philip Knapper, aged 34, of Port Street, Burslem, has been committed to Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court accused of stealing number plates worth £20 at Leek on August 22 and making off without paying £78.73 for diesel on the same date. The defendant has elected trial and will appear there on April 2 for a plea and case management hearing. Magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre granted him unconditional bail.

CHELL HEATH

Ian Gibson, aged 25, of Dogcroft Road, Chell Heath, was given a 12-month conditional discharge at North Staffordshire Justice Centre after pleading guilty to possession of 222 milligrams of M-cat on December 22. The defendant was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

FENTON

Penelope Russell, aged 44, of Tirley Street, Fenton, was given a 12-month conditional discharge by magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre after she pleaded guilty to stealing items worth £26.38 from Aldi, Fenton, on February 18. She was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

HANLEY

James Kent, aged 25, of Windermere Street, Cobridge, was fined £30 and told to pay a £20 victim surcharge by North Staffordshire magistrates after he pleaded guilty to theft of aftershave worth £39.50 from Boots on February 18.

HANLEY

Kirmanj Rashid, aged 29, denied having a knife in Lichfield Street, Hanley, and an affray between August 17 and August 20 last year. He also denied assaulting Mijad Rashid occasioning him actual bodily harm on November 21 last year. The defendant's trial will be held at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in the week starting May 13. He was granted bail with a condition to live outside Stoke-on-Trent.

MIDDLEPORT

Gayle Davenport, aged 33, of Hamil Road, Burslem, Lee Bloor, aged 32, of Newport Lane, Burslem and two juveniles have pleaded guilty to an affray on July 12 last year. The juveniles, Davenport and Sarah Clarke, aged 33, of Riley Street North, Burslem, denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm on the same date. And Lee Bloor denied having a machete in Newcastle Street, Middleport, and Bryn Bloor, aged 29, of Bronant Walk, Burslem, denied racially aggravated threatening, abusive words or behaviour. The pleas were acceptable to the Crown Prosecution Service who offered no evidence against Bryn Bloor and Sarah Clarke. Judge Paul Glenn entered not guilty verdicts in respect of those two defendants. But Davenport, Lee Bloor and the two juveniles will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after reports are prepared on them by probation officers. They were granted bail CITY: Fans of naturalist 'Romany of the BBC' are invited to a book fair on Saturday. Derek Wood, vice-chairman of the Romany Society, which celebrates the work of writer and broadcaster George Bramwell Evens, will have a stall at the event at Dresden Scout Hall, in Wise Street.

The event will run from 10am until 3.30pm.

LONGTON

Steven Ellam, aged 25, of Lightwood Road, Longton, pleaded guilty to having an offensive weapon, a knife, in Kearsley Way, Blurton, on November 24 last year. He will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after a report is prepared on him by a probation officer. He was granted bail.

NEWCASTLE

A 36-year-old man has appeared before magistrates accused of a number of offences including making indecent images and movies of children. Antonio Salamino, of Albermarle Road, Newcastle, faces three allegations of attempting to cause or incite a girl to engage in sexual activity; three offences of attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity; 10 offences of making indecent images and movies of children from level one to level five; and possession of extreme pornographic images. All the allegations cover dates from 2008 to 2012.North Staffordshire Justice Centre declined jurisdiction and committal to Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court will take place on April 30.

The defendant was given unconditional bail.

NEWCASTLE

Ian Jamieson, aged 52, of Broome Hill, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to two charges of being in charge of a dog which was dangerously out of control in a public place on August 21 last year. But he denied being in charge of a dog which caused injury to Jean Griffiths while dangerously out of control in Ferndown Drive South, Clayton, on the same date. Jamieson's trial will be held at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in the week starting June 10. He was granted bail.

NORTH STAFFS

Craig Cunningham, aged 46, of Bernard Gardens, Sheffield, denied a sexual assault and a common assault in Staffordshire on November 17 last year. His trial will be held at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in the week commencing May 13 and he was granted bail.

NORTHWOOD

Comedian Andy Hand will headline a show on Saturday. The Comedy and Cake evening will take place at Northwood Parish Hall from 7.30pm with tickets priced at £5. During the night local acts will also perform with organisers promising some musical comedy too. For information and tickets call Nick Broad on 07795 683686.

PENKHULL

Nahit Ozarslan, aged 40, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress between August 31 and November 1 last year. He also admitted racially aggravated assault on November 27 and assault occasioning actual bodily harm on the same date. Ozarslan, of Honeywall, Penkhull, will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after a report is prepared on him by a probation officer. He was granted bail.

STOKE

Benjamin Judge, aged 19, of Vale Street, Stoke, has pleaded guilty at North Staffordshire Justice Centre to causing criminal damage to a window at Evolve YP, in King Street, Newcastle, on February 19. The teenager also admitted being in breach of a conditional discharge. Magistrates adjourned sentence until March 26 for reports and granted the defendant unconditional bail.

b>STOKE-ON-TRENT

Andrew Davies, aged 48, of Main Street, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty to seven charges of indecent assault on three girls in Stoke-on-Trent between 2001 and 2003. He will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after a report is prepared on him. Davies, who is now on the sex offenders' register, was bailed.

TRENT VALE

Jongumuzi Ndebeale, aged 26, of Cronton Farm Court, Widnes, has denied a string of offences alleged to have happened in Trent Vale on November 9 last year. He denied damaging property belonging to Victoria Walters, assaulting Nicholas Tivenan occasioning him actual bodily harm, having a knife and a hammer in Woodberry Close, Trent Vale and assaulting Miss Walters. Ndebeale's trial will be held at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in the week commencing May 6. He was granted bail.