The following cases were heard at Reading or Slough Magistrates’ Courts.

-

May 5

STEPHEN PAINTER, 46, of Caversham Road, Reading, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft. The first happened on March 3 this year when he stole six Filofax pens and two Filofaxes to the value of £193.70 from WHSmith in Reading and a day later he stole five boxes of Ferrero Rocher to the value of £30 and seven boxes of Lindt Salted Caramel chocolates to the value of £42 from the same shop. He was jailed for eight weeks. There were no orders for costs.

FRANK HAWKES, 32, of Teviot Road, Tilehurst, pleaded guilty to possessing a kitchen knife in Bran Close on October 5 last year as well as failing to surrender to court/police on March 3 this year. He was given a community order to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activity and 80 hours of unpaid work. An order was made for the knife to be forfeited and destroyed. There were also court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £114.

NIA MICHAEL, 37, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft the details being on January 8, 2023 in Thatcham she stole six bottles of alcohol to the value of £186.50 from Waitrose and on January 11, 2023 from the same store she stole six bottles of alcohol to the value of £181.49. She also pleaded guilty to assault on the same day and failing to surrender to police/court bail on April 21 this year. She was jailed for six weeks.

ALEXI JACOBS, 30, of Anchorite Close, Reading, pleaded guilty to drug driving on December 18 last year on the A33 as well as driving without third-party insurance. He was disqualified from driving for 36 months and fined £250. There were also court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £100.

RONNIE WORTHINGTON, 18, of William Ellis Close, Windsor, pleaded guilty to one count of assault on November 3 last year. He was ordered to pay £100 in compensation. There were also court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £26.

GARETH SIM, 42, of no fixed abode, indicated guilty to 50 counts of theft which all occurred earlier this year in Bracknell, ranging from drinks and food items from the BP Bagshot Road Filling Station in Bagshot Road. He was jailed for eight months. There was also a victim surcharge of £187.

AISSA GHLIB, 32, of Dedworth Road, Windsor, was found guilty of drug driving in Cippenham Lane, Slough on January 9, 2022. She pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to police/court bail on May 2 this year in Reading. She was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £230. There were also court costs of £800 and a victim surcharge of £92.

RYAN CHAMBERLAIN, 25, of Worlds End Hill, Bracknell, was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault on a female. The first on March 3, 2021 in Reading and the second on June 28, 2021. He was given a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months. There was also an order for £900 in court costs and a victim surcharge of £128.

-

A fundamental principle of justice is that it must be seen to be done. Open justice is acclaimed on a number of grounds: as a safeguard against judicial error, to assist the deterrent function of criminal trials and to permit the revelation of matters of interest