A REPEAT offender who dealt drugs at Reading Festival has been handed a suspended sentence. 

Jake Horwood has been jailed for stealing a black Ford BMAX and crashing the vehicle in White’s Hill, Sulhamstead and causing serious injury to a passenger on July 6, 2020.

The 31-year-old was found guilty on February 21 this year after a trial at Reading Magistrates Court.

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The passenger Craig Pieper, who was borrowing the car from a friend, was injured in the crash. The court heard his fingers were ‘hanging off’ and have since been amputated.

Judge Edward Burgess sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months as well at 19 rehabilitation days, 120 alcohol abstinence days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Horwood, of Anglefield Road, Reading, was first jailed in 2014 for three years after being caught with 52 wraps of the party drug MDMA, a large quantity of cannabis, a small wrap of cocaine and £470 in cash at the annual music festival.

He admitted possessing Class A and Class B drugs with intent to supply.

Horwood was jailed again in 2018 for four years after he burgled a house in Brayford Road where he stole clothing, jewellery and money in the January.

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He was arrested the following month but ran away while handcuffed. He was arrested again later the same day.

Horwood pleaded guilty to one count of escaping lawful custody and was convicted after trial of the burglary.

He was released in March 2020 before the coronavirus lockdown after he served half the sentence.

Prosecutor Paul Fairley said: “[The owners of the car] had allowed a friend and her partner, Craig Pieper, to access the vehicle when Mr Pieper came out of prison.

“[On July 6], Mr Pieper had driven the car to a party but had no intention of driving it home. He told the defendant he had the car and where the car keys could be found.

“The next thing Mr Pieper knew he woke up in the vehicle with his fingers hanging off having been in a severe collision.

“The windows were smashed and the vehicle was on the wrong side of the road.”

Both men admitted to being drunk and were taken to Royal Berkshire Hospital.

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However, Horwood was unable to be interviewed for the offence as he was recalled to prison later that month to serve the rest of his sentence.

He is also due to stand trial in July this year for a separate alleged burglary.