Judge tells man to prove cancer claim before passing sentence

A judge has ordered a 34-year-old Blackpool man to prove he has a life-threatening illness before he sentences him for harassing two dog walkers.

- by Sean Gleaves

Lee Midgley claimed he had been diagnosed with stage four cancer when he appeared in Preston Crown Court facing a jail term for threatening the couple he met in a park.

But Judge Richard Gioserano told him he needs to see detailed medical evidence before he decides whether he should send him to prison or show leniency.

The court was told the two harassment offences followed a dispute between Midgely and a couple he met while walking their dogs in Thornton.