A PIZZA chef, a paedophile and a pair of robbers. 

These were some of the people sentenced at Reading Crown Court last week (from June 7 - 11) for a range of offences. 

Some of them will spend years behind bars while some of them were spared jail. 

Here’s who appeared in the dock last week. 

Reading Chronicle: Reading Crown CourtReading Crown Court

The church treasurer

Sindlesham man Nicolas Bornman-Hill was told he will have to pay pack the £22,000 he stole from Wokingham Methodist Church over the course of four years at Reading Crown Court last week. 

The 50-year-old avoided jail because he proved to a Judge that he could pay back the cash. 

Reading Chronicle:

Bornman-Hill, of Harrow Way, defrauded Wokingham Methodist Church of £22,153.61 between August 2013 and December 2017.

The Sindlesham man was able to access this cash because he worked as the church’s treasurer during this time.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

The cigarette thief

45-year-old Mark Church subjected staff at the McColl’s convenience store on Scaffell Road in Slough to a ‘frightening’ ordeal last year. 

The Slough man held a staff member at knifepointReading Chronicle: Image via TVPImage via TVP forcing her to hand over a safe key and coerced another employee to fill up a large bag with cigarettes.

He stole more than £37,50 in cash, cigarettes and stamps. 

But Church, formerly of Farnburn Avenue, Slough will now serve up to seven years in jail after admitting to his crimes. 

READ THE FULL STORY HERE: 

The pair of robbers

Essex men Wesley Underhay and Charles Casey will serve more than five years in jail after they forced their way into a 74-year-old woman’s home in Bracknell and stole the jewellery she was wearing.

The pair took a necklace, bangles and earrings in a raid that was described as “so scary” by the woman.

Reading Chronicle:

Casey and Underhay, of Willow Crescent, Denham and Albert Street, Harwich were both caught later that day (in December 2020) driving in North-West London despite the latter not being insured or licensed to drive.

Sentencing, Judge Dugdale told 29-year-old Casey he will serve three years behind bars after he pleaded guilty to burglary, going equipped for theft and possession of cannabis.

20-year-old Underhay was told he will serve up to 27 months in jail after admitting to burglary, going equipped for theft, driving while disqualified, and damaging property.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE: 

The paedophile

41-year-old David Nix will spend more than two years behind bars after he sent sexual message to six accounts posing as underage girls on Facebook. 

Nix, of Wintringham Way, told the girls he wanted to meet up with them for sex at a hotel, asked for them to boyfriend and girlfriend, and telling them they looked “sexy.”

He told them he would get them pregnant when they were 16 and that it was okay to have a relationship with an older man, prosecutor Chetna Patel said.

Reading Chronicle:

Paedophile hunters contacted police about Nix’s communications and officers attended his address in August 2019.

In a police interview, he said he was aware that what he was doing was “wrong” and asked officers not to treat him like he was “stupid”, adding that he wasn’t going to “deny it”.

Sentencing, Judge Sarah Campbell said: “You were not lured into our offending. You were the one to contact the various girls involved.

“You are a high risk to children.”

Nix was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail for six counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

The Pizza chef

Lajos Gabor, of Glebewood, Bracknell, avoided jail despite admitting to hitting his former partner over the head with a tablet computer three times.

The line chef at Bracknell’s Prezzo restaurant admitted to subjecting his wife to coercive and controlling behaviour over a number of years.

Reading Chronicle:

During a police interview, he admitted he “struggled with his temper” and “lost control” with his wife.

Sentencing, Recorder Simon Dyer QC said Gabor would likely lose his job if he was sent to prison.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Instead, he handed Gabor a 23-week prison sentence suspended for two years, in which he will have to complete 40 days of rehabilitation activities in this time.

Mr Dyer said: “This allows you to address your attitudes towards relationships.”

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