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

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April 24

STEPHEN CHANDLER, 49, of Newtown Road, Newbury, pleaded guilty to burglary in Newbury on February 25 this year. He was found guilty of two counts of assault on the same day. He was jailed for six months. There were also court costs of £775 and a victim surcharge of £154.

JAMIE BOYLE, 40, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour causing another person harassment, alarm or distress on April 26 in Slough. He was given a period of conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £100 in compensation.

ADRIAN PARRIS, 48, of Melbourne Street East, Tredworth, was found guilty of possessing a Stanley knife on November 16 last year in Bath Road, Reading. He was given a community order to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity and 80 hours of unpaid work. There was also an order for the knife to be forfeited and destroyed. Parris was also ordered to pay court costs of £775 and a victim surcharge of £114.

JOSHUA IHEZUE, 21, of Lonsdale Way, Maidenhead, pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour causing another person harassment, alarm or distress on February 4 this year in Maidenhead. He was given a community order to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and to pay £75 in compensation. There were also court costs of £85.

LAYLA SPENCE, 41, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to stealing £35 worth of groceries from Hevs Best Deals in Reading on April 11 this year as well as failing to surrender to police/court bail on April 26 this year. She was given a six-week prison sentence, suspended for six months. There was no order for costs.

JACK BRIGDEN, 19, of Keldholme, Bracknell, pleaded guilty to the possession of a Butterfly knife in a private place on April 27 this year. He was given a community order to complete 80 hours of unpaid work. There was also an order for the knife to be forfeited and destroyed. Bridgen will also need to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £114.

AMRIK BAJWA, 68, of Bowyer Drive, Slough, pleaded guilty to possessing ammunition, namely three 7mm Remington Magnum bulleted cartridges, without holding a firearm certificate on June 27 last year. He was fined £92 and an order was made for the bullets to be forfeited and destroyed. There were also court costs of £200.

MATTHEW MITCHELL, 39, of Hillbrow, Reading, pleaded guilty to criminal damage on July 24 last year in Lower Earley after damaging the wing mirror of a Ford Fiesta to an unknown value. He also pleaded guilty to common assault, damaging a wing mirror of a Nissan Juke to the value of £532, to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour causing another person harassment, alarm or distress, and failing to surrender to police/court bail on April 21. He was given a community order to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activity and 150 hours of unpaid work. He will also need to complete 12 months of alcohol treatment. There was no order for costs.

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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