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

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April 10 to 17

MUSTAFA DAOOD, 19, of Layburn Crescent, Slough, indicated guilty to possession of a knife in Reading on April 15 this year as well as a Class B drug, namely cannabis, and obstructing a constable in the execution of his duty. He was given 12 weeks in a youth offenders institute, suspended for 12 months. There was an order for the knife and drugs to be forfeited and destroyed. There was a victim surcharge of £156 and court cost of £85.

PAUL LENNON, 43, of Ripley Road, Tilehurst, pleaded guilty to drink driving on April 15 this year on the M4 near junction 13 with namely 128 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. He also pleaded guilty to failing to co-operate with a preliminary test. He was jailed for 12 weeks, suspended for 18 months. He will also need to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity and 200 hours of unpaid work. He was disqualified from driving for 30 months, reduced by 30 weeks. There were court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £154.

LIAN BORECKI, 25, of Holberton Road, Reading, pleaded guilty one count of assault on February 15 this year as well as the theft of a £300 pedal cycle from BP Garage on January 24 in Wokingham Road and the theft of five meat items from Asda in School Road, Tilehurst on February 15 this year to the value of £34.25. He was jailed for 32 weeks as the offence was committed during the operational period of a suspended sentence. There was no order for costs.

RICHARD EXELL, 41, of Basingstoke Road, Reading, pleaded guilty to causing harassment, alarm or distress using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour on October 11 in Maidenhead. He was ordered to pay £50 in compensation and fined £170. There was no order for further costs.

ROY SMITH, 36, of Willow Street, Reading, indicated guilty to stealing a TC Electronic Interface, Fender Squire Jaguar, two large hard drives, a Fender Delay Effects unit, a Boss Me 80 Multi Effect, a Mac Book Pro Power Supply, and a TGI Power Box from another person in Reading to the value of £839 on June 13 last year. He was ordered to pay £250 in compensation. There was no further order for costs.

EGHOSA OBAYAGBONA, 49, of Wellesley Road, Slough, was found guilty of possessing a Class B drug, namely cannabis, on August 18 last year in Slough as well as causing harassment, alarm or distress by using threatening, abusive or insulting words on the same day and obstructing a constable in the execution of duty. He was given a community order to complete six months of alcohol treatment, 25 rehabilitation days, and 100 hours of unpaid work. There were also court costs of £350 and a victim surcharge of £114.

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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