Teen banned from driving

A TEENAGE motorist has been caught behind the wheel after drinking too much.

In the dock at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, January 28, was Josef Claridge.

The 19-year-old, of Horseshoe End, Newbury, admitted driving a BMW 1 Series in Northcroft Lane, Newbury, on Boxing Day, December 26, last year, after drinking more than the legal limit.

Tests showed 49mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in his system. The legal limit is 35mcg.

A charge of possessing the Class B-controlled drug cannabis on the same occasion was withdrawn.

Mr Claridge was fined £184 and ordered to pay £85 costs, as well as a victim services surcharge. In addition, he was banned from driving for 14 months.

A STALKER has been remanded in custody to await his sentence. Appearing via live link at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, January 26, was Robert Martin Googe.

The 30-year-old, of Hermitage Green, Hermitage, admitted pursuing a course of conduct which he knew, or ought to have known, amounted to stalking Wendy Googe.

Specifically, the charge said the offence amounted to harassing Ms Googe by repeatedly contacting her and her family members by telephone and by email; by tracking her; by accessing phone data records to establish Ms Googe’s current address; by breaching police bail conditions and by phoning her landlord while pretending to be her brother to obtain personal information about her. The conduct amounting to the charge was committed in Thatcham between December 13 last year and Saturday, January 16, this year.

Mr Googe, who was legally represented at the hearing, spoke only to confirm his details and to admit the offence. Magistrates said the case could proceed no further that day and adjourned it for mitigation and sentencing at a later date. Mr Googe was denied bail and was remanded in custody.