Aldermaston man is jailed and restraining order made

Gary Whiting guilty of taking a vehicle without consent, other motoring offences and having a kitchen knife in public.

AN Aldermaston man has been sent to prison for taking a vehicle without consent, other motoring offences and having a kitchen knife in public.

Forty-four-year-old Gary Whiting, of Lockside Court, Mallard Way, was also made subject to a restraining orders in respect of several family members, when he appeared in front of Reading magistrates on Monday, October 9, for sentencing.

He had denied taking a blue Ford Focus from Aldermaston Coaches, Grange Lane, on July 3, for his own use and without the owner’s consent, but was convicted at trial.

Mr Whiting had similarly denied driving the vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence and also driving it without insurance in Beenham on the same occasion. He was convicted of that offence, too, following a trial.

Mr Whiting admitted one more offence – that of unlawfully carrying a 22cm-blade kitchen knife on Burghfield Common on October 2.

The court sentenced him to a total of 12 weeks in prison and banned him from holding or applying for a driving licence for six months.

In addition, Mr Whiting was made subject to a 12-month restraining order forbidding him from contacting, either directly or indirectly, Marina and Keith Whiting.

In a separate case, Mr Whiting was convicted of pursuing a course of conduct which amounted to the harassment of Ruth Whiting, between October 3 and October 5.

Magistrates said they looked on the offence as aggravated by the fact that there had been domestic violence involved in the past and it was committed while on bail.

For that offence, he was sentenced to four weeks in prison, to run concurrently with the 12-week sentence.

In addition, Mr Whiting was made subject to a restraining order, to run indefinitely, preventing him from contacting his victim, either directly or indirectly.

Finally, he was ordered to pay a victim services surcharge of £115.