The following cases were heard at Reading and Slough Magistrates’ Court

March 5

MICHAEL KELLY, 30, of Roycroft Lane, Finchampstead, convicted of travelling on a railway without paying a fare of £2.90 in Reading on October 6, 2020. He was fined £220, made to pay compensation of £2.90, ordered to pay costs of £180, and a victim surcharge of £34. 
BILLY MASCALL, 38, of London Road, Bracknell, was convicted of travelling on a railway without paying a fare of £5.30 in Reading on September 29, 2020. He was fined £220, made to pay compensation of £5.30, ordered to pay costs of £180, and a victim surcharge of £34. 
REGAN SENIOR, 21, of St Georges Lane, Ascot, was convicted of travelling on a railway without paying a fare of £10.20 in Reading on September 6, 2020. He was fined £220, made to pay compensation of £10.20, ordered to pay costs of £180, and a victim surcharge of £34. 
FLORIN SLJITORU, 39, of Hombrook Drive, Binfield, admitted to drink-driving at Wexham Park Hospital car park in Slough on November 15, 2020. He was caught with 155 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeding the limit of 35mg per 100ml. Banned from driving for three years. He was ordered to carry out 200 hours on unpaid work, told to pay a victim surcharge of £95, and ordered to pay costs of £85. 

March 9
NICHOLAS THOMAS, 30, of Chobham Road, Ascot, admitted one count of using threatening words or behaviour to cause harassment and one count of racially or religiously aggravated harassment by writing in Slough on September 14, 2020. He also admitted breaching a conditional discharge. He was sentenced to one week in prison suspended for 18 months and fined £250. In a separate sentence, Thomas was convicted of attempted burglary of a property in Slough on November 19, 2020 and admitted to criminal damage of a property in Slough on October 5, 2020.
For this sentence, he was committed to prison for 28 weeks suspended for 18 months. In a third sentence, Thomas admitted to criminal damage of a property in Slough on December 31, 2020. He was committed to prison for four weeks suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to carry out 240 hours on unpaid work.

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.