FROMTHECOURTS

Cases heard in Reading and Slough Magistrates Courts in recent weeks

AN EARLEY man has been banned from driving for a year after being found guilty of drug driving.

Themis Spyrou, 20 and from The Orangery, was stopped in Church Road on December 28 last year.

A test found traces of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in his bloodstream, over the prescribed limit.

At a hearing at Reading Magistrates Court on July 8, he was fined £120, and ordered to pay £34 to victim services and £85 costs.

AN ARBORFIELD man who stole a van from Wokingham on September 25 last year has been ordered to undertake 60 hours of community service.

At a hearing at Slough Magistrates Court on July 9,

Kevin Richard George changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.

The 36-year-old from Howell Close was ordered to pay £250 costs, and £95 to victim services at a rate of £50 per month.

AN EARLEY man who was caught with a kitchen knife in the street has been jailed for 26 weeks and fined £500.

Eddie Beaumount, 64 and from Finch Road, was stopped in Whitley Road in Reading on March 15, when police found the blade on him.

He had pleaded not guilty and elected for a summary trial on March 16 this year.

Magistrates proved his case in his absence on July 12, and a warrant for his arrest was made.

In addition to the jail sentence and fine, he was ordered to pay £128 to victim services.

A WOODLEY man who drove while above the alcohol limit has been fined £770 and banned from getting behind the wheel for 12 months.

Darren Paul Anderson, 44 and from Buccaneer Close, was stopped on Sandford Lane on December 30 last year.

A test found he had

110 milligrammes of alcohol in

100 millilitres of blood – the limit is 50mg.

Anderson pleaded guilty when he appeared at Reading Magistrates Court on July 13.

His ban will be reduced by three months on completion of a safe driving course, and he was ordered to pay £85 costs and £115 to victim services.

He was found guilty of two further offences: resisting arrested on December 31 last year, and being in possession of the class A drug cocaine on December 30. For this he was fined £385 and the drugs were destroyed.

Anderson may pay at a rate of £220 per month.

AN ARBORFIELD woman who committed further offences while subject to a community order has been jailed for 12 weeks.

Molly Cook, 35 and from Marbett Close, failed to provide a blood specimen when requested by police. She had been stopped while driving in Shinfield on June 17 last year.

Reading Magistrates heard that Cook, also known as Molly Smith, had changed her plea to guilty when she appeared before them on July 14.

She was also guilty of:

■ Beating a police officer on June 17 in Spencers Wood

■ Assaulting a police office in Shinfield on June 17

■ Assaulting another police officer in Spencers Wood on June 17

■ Failing to appear at Reading Magistrates Court on July 9.

For each of the assaults she was given a six-week concurrent jail sentence for failing to appear she was given an additional two-week sentence.

The overall length of her sentence is 16 weeks.

Cook is also banned from driving for three years.

At the same sitting, Cook was given a further 14-week sentence for failing to provide a blood specimen for analysis while at the Royal Berkshire Hospital on October 8 last year.

She must pay £128 to victim services, and was banned from driving for 38 months.

AN EARLEY man has been placed under curfew and given a 10-week suspended sentence for failing to provide a blood specimen for analysis.

Irfan Mohammed Zaman, 34 and from Erleigh Court Gardens, was stopped while driving in Reading on April 29 last year, when he refused the sample.

He pleaded guilty at

Reading Magistrates Court on February 14.

A second charge saw him refuse a blood test at Loddon Valley Police Station on May 30 last year.

For this he was given a 16-week suspended sentence.

Under the terms of his curfew, Zaman must wear an electronic tag until September 8, and be at his home address between 7pm and 7am daily.

Zaman must also pay £620 costs and £128 to victim services at a rate of £28 per month.

A HOMELESS man who stole bikes from Reading and

Twyford railway stations has been given a four-week jail sentence.

Jack Schofield, 29, carried out the thefts on August 11 last year. Magistrates felt that due to his previous offences, he had to be sent to prison.

He was ordered to pay

£128 to victim services, but no compensation order or request for costs was made, as he had a custodial sentence.