FROM drink drivers to coercive controllers, it has been another busy week in Southend and Basildon courts.

The magistrates' courts in both towns have been handing down justice to those that have wronged society in some shape or form.

Here is a rundown of the key cases heard this week.

Benjamin Harrison has been fined for a string of harassment offences and failing to surrender to court.

Harrison has been spared jail after the string of offences in 2019 and 2020.

The 40-year-old, of no fixed address, first harassed a man on September 26, 2019 where he used abusive and threatening words and behaviour to cause him serious distress.

He carried out the same offence against another man on the same day.

Then, on March 19 last year, he failed to surrender when requested by Southend Magistrates' Court.

The case was heard in Basildon Magistrates' Court where Harrison failed to attend, but it was proved in his absence.

He was fined £180 for both harassment offences, and £60 for failing to surrender.

He must also pay £100 compensation to each victim.

Along with costs, the total amount deducted from his benefits will be £952.

Daniel Utton caused £2,000 worth of damage in Westcliff.

Utton, 20, of HMP Chelmsford, appeared at Basildon Magistrates' Court where he admitted causing damage to an oven, kitchen table, chairs, window, blinds and microwave belonging to Henderson Properties on October 27 last year.

He was fined £120.

Jayne Pearson has been fined for attacking a police officer.

Pearson has appeared at Basildon Magistrates' Court where she admitted the assault and harassment which took place in Rochford on June 5 this year.

The court heard that she assaulted the male officer by beating him, and used threatening words to harass someone.

The magistrates' bench gave Pearson, 47, of Ely Close, Southminster, a £300 fine for the assault along with £100 compensation to the officer.

The money will be deducted from her benefits.

David Quinn, a knife wielding crook, stormed into a supermarket and stole tobacco.

Quinn was caught in Pitsea on June 19 this year in Chalvedon Square carrying a Stanley knife without permission from the Secretary of State.

He had gone into Chalvedon Supermarket armed with the knife and stole tobacco products of an unknown value.

He was also armed with a crowbar and had a beanie hat with eye holes cut out of it.

He was arrested shortly afterwards.

Quinn, 56, of Moretons, Basildon, appeared at Basildon Magistrates' Court where he admitted the offences.

He was given a 12 week prison sentence suspended for 18 months, with the magistrates' bench saying he is "clearly capable" of being rehabilitated.

He was given 120 hours of unpaid work and 50 days rehabilitation.

Joshua Smith went to a woman's house uninvited and banged on her door while shouting.

Smith has been spared jail after admitting harassment of a woman in Basildon.

The court heard that between January 1 and February 28 this year, he went to the woman's home in the town on numerous occasions when he wasn't invited.

He banged on the door and shouted for her.

He appeared at Basildon Magistrates' Court where he admitted harassment.

The magistrates' bench fined him £300 and he must also pay £105 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Mohammed Ali has been banned after being caught drink-driving in Basildon.

Ali was stopped on the A13 in Pitsea on June 29 this year.

He was driving a Nissan Juke and was given a breath test by police.

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He was found to have 65 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, exceeding the legal limit.

Ali, 44, of Cornworthy Road, Dagenham, appeared at Basildon Magistrates' Court where he admitted the offence.

He was fined £350 and given a ban from driving for 18 months.

Reece Clarke has been spared jail after breaching a restraining order against a woman - again.

Clarke has been spared jail after contacting the woman in Basildon on March 8 this year.

The 28-year-old of Kathleen Ferrier Crescent had been given a restraining order banning him from contacting the woman in August last year.

At Southend Magistrates' Court, Clarke admitted the offence.

The magistrates' bench gave Clarke a six week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

The bench said he had a history of previous offending against the same woman, and had a disregard for court orders and police authority in a vulnerable situation.

He must complete 20 days of rehabilitation.

Latiswa Mafanya who assaulted a police officer has been given a discharge.

Mafanya was behaving in a drunk and disorderly manner in Southend on July 14 this year.

She was confronted by police in Guildford Road, but instead of complying, assaulted one female officer by beating her.

Mafanya, 41, of St Lawrence Road, Sheffield, appeared at Southend Magistrates' Court where she admitted both offences the following day.

She was given a conditional discharge for 12 months, meaning if she commits no further crimes, it will be the end of the matter.

Mark Norton has admitted controlling and coercive behaviour of his partner.

Norton admitted controlling the woman telling her what make-up to use and who she could or couldn't see.

The 37-year-old of Elm Road, Shoebury, for a period of nearly four years carried out controlling and coercive behaviour from 2016 to 2020.

Norton would tell his partner about what make up to wear, insulted her appearance, monitored how long she was out of the house for, and insinuated that she was cheating on him.

He also made it "difficult" to see her family.

At Southend Magistrates' Court Norton admitted the offence, which meant he knew or ought to have known his behaviour would have had a serious effect on her.

The magistrates' bench referred the case to Basildon Crown Court for sentence.

Norton is set to appear on August 12. He was remanded in custody.

Leon Slade, of Locksley Close, Southend, was stopped in Poynings Avenue on September 7 last year.

The 28-year-old was given a breath test by police and found to have 8.7 micrograms of Del ta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in his bloodstream.

He appeared at Basildon Magistrates' Court where he admitted the offence.

He was given a fine of £300 and ordered to pay £145 in prosecution costs.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.

A teenage boy has been referred to an offender panel for having a knife.

The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Southend Magistrates' Court where he admitted having the "large knife" in Grand Parade in Leigh on June 5 this year.

The magistrates' bench referred the boy to a youth offender panel for nine months and ordered him to pay costs of £50 to the Crown Prosecution Service.