Weekly round up of hearings at Reading and Slough Magistrates’ Courts

ADAMAN ZAMAN, 23, of Chiltern Crescent in Earley, convicted of possession of a knife in public - namely a folding pocket knife over three inches in length in Woodstock Street, Reading, on January 23, 2024. Handed a community order to comply with a curfew using electronic monitoring and rehabilitation activity, plus 100 hours unpaid work. Also ordered to pay £85 court costs and £114 victim surcharge.

SUNNY BASSI, 39, of Caversham Road, Reading, convicted of stealing fragrance worth £170 from John Lewis in Reading on January 21, 2024. Given a community order that bans the defendant from John Lewis for 12 months. Also ordered to pay £170 compensation.

JORDAN HAWKES, 24, of Park Corner in Windsor, convicted of assault by beating in Windsor on July 30, 2024. Given a community order to comply with 100 hours of unpaid work and must pay £300 compensation.

JAKE CRAYTHORNE, 22, of Barley Mead, Maidenhead, convicted of criminal damage to a door worth £25 in Maidenhead on June 25, 2023. Fined £100. Also ordered to pay £85 court costs and £40 victim surcharge.

HARJINDER MALHI, 49, of Larchside Close, Reading, convicted of drug-driving in Slough Road in Datchet on June 12, 2023. Found to have cannabis in their system. Fined £135. Also ordered to pay £100 court costs and £54 victim surcharge. Disqualified from driving for 12 months.

MARTYN DI MARCELLO, 45, of Cambridge Street, Reading, convicted of drink-driving in Battle Street, Reading, on December 13, 2023. Found to have 96mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35mcg. Given a community order to comply with 80 hours of unpaid work and must also undertake rehabilitation activity. Ordered to pay £85 court costs and £114 victim surcharge. Disqualified from driving for 23 months.

PETRISOR STEFANESCU, 44, of Aldborough Spur in Slough, convicted of stealing two boxes of chocolates worth £30 from Tesco in Slough on August 3, 2023. Ordered to pay £30 compensation.

HABIB MUJAHID-MUSLIM, 39, of Moor Furlong, in Slough convicted of failing to report a road accident in Trelawney Avenue, Langley as the driver of another vehicle in which damage was caused on May 2, 2023. Fined £80. Also ordered to pay £112 court costs and £32 victim surcharge. Eight points added to licence.

JAMES COOK, of Netown Road, Newbury, convicted of failing to surrender to custody when required by court/police in Reading on November 28, 2023. Fined £20.

It is established in the UK that court cases should be heard in public. This principle of open justice is acclaimed on a number of grounds: as a safeguard against judicial error and as a deterrent to perjury, to assist the deterrent function of trials and to permit the revelation of matters of public interest. Costs include victim surcharge and courts charges.