Reading Magistrates' Court Sentencing Results

Explore 23 verdicts at Reading Magistrates' Court (Reading). Updated with the latest court outcomes.

Asghar Ali

Plying for hire

June 20, 2025

Sentence: £392 fine and eight penalty points on driving licence, plus £157 victim surcharge and £200 costs

On December 4, 2024, Council Licensing officers approached Asghar Ali’s vehicle on Friar Street in Reading town centre. He agreed to take them to an address in Wokingham for £35 without the required prior booking, despite his licence only allowing him to pick up customers in Bracknell. This action invalidated his insurance, putting passengers at risk in the event of an accident.

Pleaded guilty and received credit for early guilty plea and cooperation at the interview.

Sources: readingchronicle.co.uk

Azmat-Hussain Ali

Plying for hire

March 28, 2025

Sentence: £240 fine, six penalty points, £400 in prosecution costs, and £96 victim surcharge

Azmat-Hussain Ali, a London private hire driver licensed by Transport for London, was caught by undercover officers plying for hire on Randolph Road on August 25, 2024, without a prior booking. He agreed to take the officers to Denmark Street, Wokingham, for £15, which invalidated his insurance as he was not authorised to pick up passengers from the street.

Admitted offences at the roadside and during interview; guilty plea; no previous convictions.

Sources: readingchronicle.co.uk

Michael Butler

Shoplifting

March 25, 2025

Sentence: 42 weeks imprisonment

Michael Butler, 36, of no fixed abode, committed multiple thefts from supermarkets in Reading and assaulted someone during these incidents.

Roger Budd

Racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment

February 25, 2025

Sentence: Community order of 120 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months and ordered to pay court costs

Roger Budd, 60, of 22 Hythe Park Road, Egham, Surrey, engaged in racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, or distress on Peascod Street, Windsor, on April 18, 2024.

Pleaded guilty to racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, or distress.

Sources: readingchronicle.co.uk

Steven O'brien

Drink driving

February 25, 2025

Sentence: Banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay a fine

Steven O'Brien, 43, of 21 Hoylake Close, Slough, committed drink driving on October 24, 2024, in Church Street, Burnham, with 56 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeding the prescribed limit.

Valentin Buftea

Failing to provide a specimen for analysis

February 25, 2025

Sentence: Community order of 170 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months

Valentin Buftea, 46, of no fixed abode in Slough, failed to provide a specimen for analysis on October 10, 2024, in Maidenhead.

Bradley Prothero

Using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour

February 25, 2025

Sentence: Fined £450 and ordered to pay costs

Bradley Prothero, 32, of 40 Charlton Walk, Windsor, used threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm, or distress towards PC Greenwood at Maidenhead Police Station on January 12, 2025.

Pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour.

Sources: readingchronicle.co.uk

Bradley Wilson

Drunk driving

February 25, 2025

Sentence: Disqualified from driving for 20 months and ordered to pay costs

Bradley Wilson, 28, of 269 Maidenhead Road, Windsor, was involved in drunk driving on Arthur Road on January 12, 2025, where his breath contained 76 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres, exceeding the prescribed limit.

Jacek Kociolek

Drunk driving

February 25, 2025

Sentence: Disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £350

Jacek Kociolek, 57, of 34 Cromwell Drive, Slough, committed drunk driving in Slough on November 2, 2024, with 154 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, exceeding the prescribed limit.

Ionit Rova

Shoplifting

February 17, 2025

Sentence: 10 weeks imprisonment

Ionit Rova stole more than £5,000 worth of chocolate and other products from nine Tesco stores and one Aldi shop between August 20, 2024, and January 18, 2025. The spree involved thefts in various locations including Daventry, Amersham, Princes Risborough, Faringdon, Warfield, Swaffham, Dereham, Leatherhead, Oakham, and Wokingham, with amounts ranging from £238.14 to £800 per incident.

Dean Girvan

Drug driving

June 10, 2024

Sentence: Disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £120

Dean Girvan drove a white Nissan Qashqai on the M4 and A308(M) in Maidenhead while having Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine, at a level of 720 micrograms per litre in his blood, which exceeded the legal limit. This offence occurred under Subsection 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Pleaded guilty early, which reduced the fine from £180. Ordered to pay £250 in costs and a £48 victim surcharge, with payments in instalments of £30 starting on April 18.

Sources: readingchronicle.co.uk

Jahmilla Pearce

Speeding

June 5, 2024

Sentence: Fined £72 and £29 surcharge, with three points added to driving licence

Jahmilla Pearce was caught driving at 61mph in a temporary 50mph zone on the M4 eastbound in Earley, Reading, on August 31, 2024, while driving a Mini. She was detected by a speed camera and later addressed the matter at court, where an initial offence of failing to give information was removed.

Pleaded guilty to speeding offence after making a statutory declaration following a conviction by Slough Magistrates' Court.

Sources: basingstokegazette.co.uk

Johnathan Simmons

Fare evasion

May 1, 2024

Sentence: Fined £220

Johnathan Simmons was caught travelling without a valid £4.60 ticket at Wickford station on October 13, 2023.

Offence proved via single justice procedure; also ordered to pay compensation of £4.60, costs of £175, and a victim services surcharge of £88.

Sources: echo-news.co.uk

Mason Adams

Fare evasion

May 1, 2024

Sentence: Fined £220

Mason Adams was caught travelling without a £28.30 ticket at Southend Victoria station on October 6, 2023.

Offence proved via single justice procedure; also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £175, a victim services surcharge of £88, and compensation of £28.30.

Sources: echo-news.co.uk

Philip Owusu

Fare evasion

May 1, 2024

Sentence: Fined £220

Philip Owusu boarded a train at Rayleigh station on October 9, 2023, without a valid £17.60 ticket.

Offence proved via single justice procedure; also ordered to pay compensation of £17.60, costs of £175, and a victim services surcharge of £88.

Sources: echo-news.co.uk

Harpreet Bal

Harassment

April 4, 2024

Sentence: 12 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and a 20-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement

Harpreet Bal, of Ridgebank, began playing loud amplified music at all hours from July 2023, causing significant distress and nuisance to residents in his block of flats and nearby areas. He was prosecuted for breaching eight noise abatement notices, harassing a tenant at Ridgebank, and committing a communication offence against a council officer. A speaker was seized during the investigation, and despite initial non-attendance, he was arrested and sentenced.

Did not attend initial sentencing on March 25, leading to a warrant and arrest on April 4. Also received a restraining order prohibiting loud music, banging on ceilings or walls, or playing the television loudly, plus a deprivation order for seized equipment (two soundbars, one subwoofer speaker, a television, and a JVC speaker), and must pay £1,000 court costs and a £154 victim surcharge.

Sources: sloughobserver.co.uk

Gareth Edmond

Driving whilst disqualified

March 7, 2024

Sentence: £1,000 fine and 6 points on licence

Gareth Edmond was driving a Vauxhall Zafira on the M4 at Newport, Gwent, on July 5, 2023, whilst banned from driving.

Ashley Canavan

Kidnap attempt

August 7, 2023

Sentence: imprisonment and banned from driving

Ashley Canavan attempted to kidnap a jogger in her 20s in Caversham by trying to bundle her into a black car.

Altin Gjura

Production of cannabis

July 18, 2023

Sentence: 1 year imprisonment and forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis and paraphernalia

On March 26, 2023, police raided a property on Whitebeam Chase in Maidenhead based on intelligence about cannabis cultivation. Altin Gjura was found inside with approximately 300 fully grown cannabis plants and several items used for cultivation. He was arrested, remanded in custody, and later sentenced.

Pleaded guilty to one count of producing a controlled drug. Ordered to pay a statutory surcharge.

Sources: getreading.co.uk

Martin Gunn

Stalking

July 1, 2023

Sentence: 20 months imprisonment

Martin Gunn, 52, met the victim online in March 2023 and began stalking her after their brief relationship ended in May 2023. He moved near her home, frequently appeared near her child's school, purchased a similar vehicle and pet, and applied to the same gym. The stalking involved communication attempts and occurred between August 2023 and February 14, 2024, in Windsor, causing fear of violence.

Admitted to stalking involving fear of violence. Breached bail conditions by driving down the victim's road and was held on remand. Judge noted he poses a high risk to future partners based on probation assessment.

Sources: sloughobserver.co.uk

David Mcmanus

Non-dwelling burglary

October 11, 2022

Sentence: 1 year imprisonment

David McManus, aged 49 and of Talbot Place in Datchet, entered Oakley Court Hotel in Windsor at around 3.30pm on August 27, 2022. He walked into the staff room, went through a handbag, and stole a purse from the bag. He then used the stolen bank card to buy items at two shops in Dedworth. He was arrested and brought to justice by Thames Valley Police.

Pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud and one count of non-dwelling burglary. Investigating officer noted that McManus is a prolific offender and that burglary is an invasive crime, hoping the sentence sends a strong message.

Sources: getreading.co.uk

Trisha Clifton

Religiously aggravated behaviour

April 4, 2022

Sentence: 26 weeks imprisonment

Trisha Clifton was on a train to Reading on the evening of April 1, 2022, where she stripped off various items of clothing in front of passengers, called them terrorists, said 'kill all the Muslims' while gesturing as if wielding a firearm, and was subsequently arrested.

Pleaded guilty to religiously aggravated behaviour and being in breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order.

Sources: getreading.co.uk

Omer Malik

Illegally plying for hire

March 18, 2022

Sentence: £100 fine, £1,000 in operating costs, and £30 victim surcharge

Omer Malik, a taxi driver from Lamerton Road in Whitley, agreed to take a £6 fare from a Reading Borough Council officer in Reading on 8 March 2019. This was illegal under borough council licensing rules, as only registered Hackney carriages can pick up passengers in the town, and he was operating without insurance.

Found guilty of illegally plying for hire and operating without insurance. He was registered for Hackney carriage journeys and private hire in South Oxfordshire.

Sources: getreading.co.uk

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