Reading Crown Court Sentencing Results

John Light entered the home of a woman in her 80s in Windsor on January 8, 2024, persuaded her to hand over £130 in cash for pathway work that had never been requested or carried out, and left shortly after receiving the money. He was identified through a CCTV investigation and a Crimewatch appeal, arrested on March 19, 2024, and later found guilty of fraud by false representation following a three-day trial.

Aleksei Mutovkin was stopped by officers on Foresters Way in Crowthorne at around 4.25pm on August 15. A search of the vehicle found drug paraphernalia and a wrap of white powder near where he was seated, and further drugs were found on his person. Tests later confirmed the substance was crack cocaine.

Ernest Acheampong was arrested on 14th April after officers stopped him on a bike in Reading and found nine wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, two bags of cannabis and £200 cash. A Nokia mobile phone was identified as a drugs line phone. On 18th June, officers saw suspected drug-related activity and later found him with £400 cash after he discarded two phones. A subsequent search of a property recovered suspected crack cocaine, digital scales, cut-down cling film rolls, 32 individual wraps of heroin and £1,669 in cash. The Class A drugs had a street value of around £820 for crack cocaine and £320 for heroin.

Jordon Doe was convicted of fraudulent trading and money laundering connected to a roofing business that targeted homeowners across the South East of England. The operation exploited trust, used false companies, and impersonated Trading Standards and local authorities to obtain money from victims. Proceeds from the offending were used to acquire assets including designer watches, high-performance vehicles and land.

Oliver Higgins was sentenced for fraudulent trading in connection with a roofing business that targeted homeowners across the South East of England. The operation used false companies and impersonated Trading Standards and local authorities to obtain money from victims.

Sebastain Harris-Mayer was sentenced for his role in a fraudulent roofing business that obtained money from homeowners across the South East of England. The operation involved false companies and dishonest methods, causing significant financial loss and distress to victims.

In March, police carried out a search warrant at a property in Reading. Tytino Richardson was found in a bedroom with a mobile phone and a bag containing more than 130 wraps of heroin. A second phone was found under furniture; both phones contained bulk marketing messages consistent with drug supply. Officers also seized a backpack containing wraps and cut clingfilm, a lockbox with digital scales, 22 wraps of crack cocaine, 218 wraps of crack cocaine, 186 wraps of heroin, two bags containing 97.2g of heroin, and more than £2,000 in cash. Richardson was arrested the same day and charged the following day.

Police raided Nicholas Hutchins' home in Lambourn and found cash and a small amount of cocaine. He had been selling cannabis to friends in a small-scale operation making little if any profit. The offences occurred in Lambourn between 1 December 2018 and 1 January 2019. He admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply, possessing cocaine, and possessing £1,105 in criminal property.

Daniel Wilder was caught supplying cocaine in a park in Thatcham on 28 July 2025. A search of his home uncovered 60g of cocaine hidden in a bedroom wardrobe, with an estimated street value of £5,400, plus £1,020 in cash. Despite being released on bail, he was later seen dealing drugs again outside a Tesco Express in Thatcham on 16 February 2026.

On June 4, officers searched a white Nissan Juke driven by Joel Cooper at a petrol station in Reading. They found thirty wraps of crack cocaine and heroin concealed in the driver's door armrest, along with a plastic bag containing more than 10g of crack cocaine. Cooper was also found with £590 in cash, and over £150 in coins was found in the boot. A search of his home uncovered five packages of cocaine, digital scales, pre-cut cling film rolls, and a further wrap of crack cocaine. Keys found at his home led to another address where officers found a knife with white residue, two containers of bicarbonate of soda, and a ladle with white residue. The estimated street value of the drugs was around £2,100.

Jamie Flitter was observed by police on 27 February 2025 in Reading during suspected drug-related activity. A search found 15 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin around his neck, along with £50 cash and a mobile phone. He claimed the drugs were for personal use, but the phone contained bulk marketing messages consistent with the supply of Class A drugs. On 29 May 2026, when officers arrested him at his home, he threw a blue disposable glove to the floor which was found to contain forty wraps of crack cocaine and heroin.

Dale Northcote was a passenger in a Toyota C-HR stopped by officers on Christchurch Road, Reading, on 21 January after officers witnessed what they believed to be a drug deal on Church Street. A search uncovered 32 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, a cling film package containing 6.62g of heroin, £270 in cash and three mobile phones. The drugs had an estimated street value of nearly £1,400. He also admitted grievous bodily harm and affray in connection with a separate incident that left a man in his twenties with a serious slash wound to his neck and face.

Ross Leighton was driving a Toyota C-HR stopped by officers on Christchurch Road, Reading, on 21 January after officers witnessed what they believed to be a drug deal on Church Street. A search uncovered 32 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, a cling film package containing 6.62g of heroin, £270 in cash and three mobile phones. A subsequent search of his home recovered another £715 in cash. The drugs had an estimated street value of nearly £1,400.

On 12 March 2026, officers stopped a vehicle travelling through Slough and found multiple wraps of heroin and crack cocaine concealed within the trim. A search of Raja Khan's home uncovered a further quantity of heroin. He was arrested the following day and charged on the same day. The investigating officer said Khan was involved in supplying class A drugs in communities, bringing harmful substances into Slough for financial gain.

On October 6, 2025, police searched Uhbad Rehman's address and found a large quantity of class A drugs (cocaine and heroin), class B drugs (cannabis and ketamine) in a safe, forensically linked to him. Officers also seized £13,000 in cash, a cash counting device, and equipment for wrapping drugs. Rehman was charged the next day with multiple drug supply offences.

Gary Worthington, 45, of Old Windsor, purchased blank-firing pistols for an organised crime group that converted them into live firearms. The group sourced Turkish-made blank-firing guns and ammunition for conversion. SEROCU officers conducted warrants on October 11, 2023, uncovering a firearms cache in a Windsor garage and a makeshift gun‑factory in Datchet. Worthington was arrested at home on October 19, 2023; his phone showed contacts with other group members. He was charged on May 21, 2024, and pleaded guilty at Reading Crown Court on November 17 to encouraging or assisting the supply of firearms and supplying ammunition. He was sentenced on June 1, 2026.

Perry Phillips, 56, of Old Windsor, purchased blank-firing pistols for an organised crime group that converted them into live firearms. The group sourced Turkish-made blank-firing guns and ammunition for conversion. SEROCU officers conducted warrants on October 11, 2023, uncovering a firearms cache in a Windsor garage and a makeshift gun‑factory in Datchet. Phillips was arrested on December 5, 2023; his phone linked him to other group members. He was charged on May 21, 2024, and pleaded guilty at Reading Crown Court on November 17 to encouraging or assisting the supply of firearms and supplying ammunition. He was sentenced on June 1, 2026.

Steven Gillingwater, 36, of Slough, forged signatures on 28 cheques over a five-month period in 2023, stealing £64,328 from Colnbrook with Poyle Parish Council while serving as its clerk and responsible finance officer. The loss amounted to about 60 per cent of the parish council’s precept. Twenty-four cheques were paid into his own bank account and four to contacts, including a family member. The theft was linked to his addiction to crack cocaine and drug debts. The offence represented a breach of public trust and the money could have funded community projects.

Gavinder Johal, of Slough, a 35-year-old customer support technician at a company in Slough between May 2024 and August 2024, systematically abused his system access to falsely show that iPhones were being allocated to users around the UK and the world. In reality, he removed £16,800 worth of iPhones from stock and sold them for his own gain. This was identified through an audit, leading to a Thames Valley Police investigation. He undertook a voluntary interview on July 11 2025 and was charged on January 13 2026.

Claydon Heard, 39, of Leaves Green, Bracknell, was stopped by Thames Valley Police officers on multiple occasions while in possession of class A and class B drugs. The most recent incident occurred on 10 February 2026, leading to his arrest and charging on 11 February 2026. He entered guilty pleas and was convicted on 23 March 2026.

Gasparovsky ran a sophisticated drugs network that operated through a WhatsApp business called 'Vicstore', disguising drug deals behind a fake clothing brand. The operation used online orders, coded drop boxes and postal services to distribute class A, B and C drugs around Reading, Wokingham and Farnborough. He was arrested at his home in Reading, where police seized branded clothes, phones and drug paraphernalia linking him to Vicstore. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts related to supplying class A and B controlled drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, methylamphetamine, cannabis, ketamine and mephedrone, and admitted acquiring criminal property.

Teczely was involved in a drugs network operated through a WhatsApp business called 'Vicstore' that disguised drug deals behind a fake clothing brand, using online orders, coded drop boxes and postal services to distribute class A, B and C drugs around Reading, Wokingham and Farnborough. He was detained in Hampshire after evidence connected him to the network. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts related to supplying class A and B controlled drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, methylamphetamine, cannabis, ketamine and mephedrone.

Zaid was involved in a drugs network operated through a WhatsApp business called 'Vicstore' that disguised drug deals behind a fake clothing brand, using online orders, coded drop boxes and postal services to distribute class A, B and C drugs around Reading, Wokingham and Farnborough. She was caught loading a safe containing around £2,000 cash and various drugs into her car at a Reading storage unit. She pleaded guilty to multiple counts related to supplying class A and B controlled drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, methylamphetamine, cannabis, ketamine and mephedrone.

On January 26, officers stopped a black Vauxhall Mokka on Lower Earley Way, driven by Williams. He was searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act, revealing four tinted wraps of crack cocaine and eight wraps of heroin in his sock, plus a phone and £160 cash. Officers then searched his home under Section 8 PACE warrant, finding 47 wraps of crack cocaine, over 40g of heroin, and nearly 7g of crack cocaine, with a total street value of around £4480.

Daniel Inman, 34, of Kingsquarter, Maidenhead, was arrested on January 19, 2026, during a 'concern for welfare' visit at a property in Bracknell. Police spotted him inside while talking to a resident and entered to search because he was wanted for a separate offence. He was found with 12 wraps of heroin concealed in his underwear, multiple phones, portable weighing scales, and £310 in cash. The phones contained 'bulk drug supply messages' advertising heroin, indicating street-dealing level supply. He gave 'no comment' answers when questioned and claimed the drugs were for personal use, but pleaded guilty at his first court hearing. He was charged on January 20, 2026.