BUGGERY, spitting at police officers and breaching a violent offender order.

These are some of the crimes the people sentenced at Reading Crown Court last month committed.

Here’s what they did and how long they will serve.

John Imeson

Former Reading Blue Coat School teacher was jailed for up to 16 years after sexually abusing two boys in the 1980s.

Imeson, of Fitzroy Crescent, Woodley, was convicted of 13 sexual offences, including buggery, indecent assault, and indecency with a child following a seven-day trial in May.

Reading Crown Court heard how "respected teacher" Imeson, 73, abused one of the pupils, who was believed to be either 11 or 12 at the time, during camping and canoeing trips he ran as extra-curricular activities at the boarding school between June 1980 and September 1982.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Derek Thurlbeck

Derek Thurlbeck, a self-proclaimed ‘spiritual healer’ from High Wycombe, went to the Slough homes of four separate women and touched their genitals over their clothes while carrying out his practices.

Described by a ‘master manipulator’, he told one woman she was ‘cursed’ in a bid to convince her to get healed.

 

Derek Thurlbeck, image via TVP

Derek Thurlbeck, image via TVP

 

The 63-year-old offered spiritual healing to these women free of charge but when he carried out his practice he touched them in ways which were “inappropriate” and “unprofessional”, Her Honour Judge Real said.

Judge Real sentenced Thurlbeck to two years and six months in prison after he was convicted of five counts of sexual assault by a jury following a week-long trial earlier this year.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

James Dyer

Dyer committed a string of sexual offences just days before he was spared prison for a 2018 pizza-cutter attack.

Last month he was jailed by the same judge who previously let h walk free.im

Reading Crown Court heard how James Dyer, formerly of Longs Way, Wokingham, sent three videos of him pleasuring himself to girls aged 14 and 16.

Reading Chronicle:

The court also heard how on another occasion he grabbed a woman’s bottom and asked her for sex after she got into her car in April 2021.

Judge Burgess sentenced Dyer to two years and six months behind bars after he admitted to three counts of sending indecent or offensive electronic communications with intent to cause stress or anxiety, common assault, and sexual assault.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Lemarr Stevens

Stevens, from Slough, will spend up to 32 weeks in a youth detention centre after an eight-inch carving knife fell out of his waistband when police tackled him to the ground at Reading station in June.

The 19-year-old was approached by British Transport Police officers at the station as he seemed “agitated”.

According to prosecutor Victoria Lovett, police said he smelt like cannabis.

He walked away from police who then restrained him on the floor.

As he was wrestled to the ground, an eight-inch carving knife fell to the floor from Stevens’ waistband.

Judge Real sentenced Stevens after he admitted to possession of a bladed article.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Andrew Harding

Harding, handed Thames Valley Police’s first-ever violent offender tag, was jailed for three years after he was caught staying with a woman in a Premier Inn hotel.

The 39-year-old, formerly of Adwood Court, Thatcham, was slapped with the order in October 2020 but breached his new rules in April and June of this year.

Reading Chronicle:

He will spend at least a year-and-a-half behind bars after forming relationships with two women without telling police about them, a strict condition under his violent offender order (VOO).

Harding, who has 17 convictions for 40 offences including wounding, has a “deeply unpleasant history of offending and behaviour”, a court heard.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Bradley Scott

Bradley Scott, from Reading, was banned from communicating with girls under the age of 16 following a previous conviction for child sexual abuse he received three years ago.

But the 20-year-old, who penetrated a 13-year-old girl when he was 17, met up with a 14-year-old girl just four days after his release from prison in May of this year.

This meant he had broken rules in his sexual harm prevention order.

Scott was sentenced to ten months in prison for three counts of breaching the order.

However, he will be eligible for release on licence after five months.

Having already served three months in prison since May, Scott is set to be released from jail in two months time.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Brendan Bicknell

Bicknell, who mounted a pavement and hit a car in a dramatic police chase, was spared jail just months before the birth of his child.

The 21-year-old, of Modbury Gardens, Reading, was instead banned from going out on Friday and Saturday nights following his sentencing for dangerous driving.

He was being hunted by police for a criminal damage enquiry on December 3, 2020 when officers were informed his car was in Reading.

He had pulled over at the Esso petrol station on Berkeley Avenue to fill up his car. As he was paying, two police vehicles had blocked his car to the front and the back.

But after getting back into his Volkswagen Golf, Bicknell reversed into the police car behind him and then managed to squeeze in between the police vehicle in front of him and a petrol pump.

The 21-year-old then drove onto Rose Kiln Lane before moving onto the A33 where there was heavy traffic, according to prosecutor Victoria Lovett.

A court heard how police pursued Bicknell before he mounted a pavement and hit a Vauxhall Astra in a bid to flee from officers.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Tony Bashki

Bashki, from Slough, avoided jail following his conviction for dangerous driving.

The 49-year-old received a 14 month prison sentence suspended for 19 months.

He was, however, told to undertake 19 session of a rehabilitation programme and take part in 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Kevin Kivindyo

Kivindyo was jailed after assaulting a vulnerable woman in her own home.

The 42-year-old of St Pauls Avenue, Slough, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of three counts of sexual assault following a trial at Reading Crown Court.

 

Kevin Kivindyo, Image via TVP

Kevin Kivindyo, Image via TVP

 

The incident happened on March 26, 2018, where Kivindyo sexually assaulted a 23-year-old woman in her home.

Kivindyo was arrested on the same day and charged a year later on July 18, 2019.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Barry Gooden

Gooden, from Bracknell, was jailed for 22 months after being convicted of two counts of making indecent photos of children.

 

Barry Gooden, Image via TVP

Barry Gooden, Image via TVP

 

The 64-year-old was also told his phone would be destroyed and any equipment containing the indecent images would be forfeited too.

In addition, Gooden was handed a 10-year-sexual-harm-prevention order.

Rosie Hicks

Mother of five Rosie Hicks spat at two police officers during the “height of the pandemic” after she was arrested for attacking a man with a claw hammer.

Hicks, of Blackburn Road, Bradford, will serve at least half-a-year behind bars following her “violent and enraged behaviour” in Slough in April last year.

The 26-year-old “deliberately” spat at the officers, a court heard, to “make them feel worried about coronavirus”.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Paul Lurkins

A serviceman stalker who wrote off his ex’s car and damaged her new partner’s vehicle has been jailed for more than two-and-a-half years.

RAF Brize Norton-based Paul Lurkins’ stalking campaign began when his short relationship with the victim broke down.

 

Paul Lurkins, image via TVP

Paul Lurkins, image via TVP

 

The 54-year-old followed her to her parents’ and grandparents’ homes, a hospital and also peeped through the window of a pub when she was out.

The woman, who was sent abusive messages by Lurkins, suffered harassment in 2017 and 2018.

offences were carried out in Slough, Kenilworth, Coventry and Bristol.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

We've set up a new Facebook group where you can find all the most interesting court and crime stories from around Berkshire.

Click the link above to join.