Reading Magistrates' Court: veteran conwoman sentenced to jail in her absence

A VETERAN conwoman who preys on the good nature of local people is headed for jail...when police can find her.

Amanda Basden, a former pupil at Park House School in Newbury, was due in the dock for sentencing at Reading Magistrates' Court on Friday, October 15 - but she never turned up.

The 41-year-old - pictured here in 2019 - has more than 150 previous convictions and regularly begs for cash, falsely pleading that she needs a taxi to visit her desperately sick baby in hospital.

At a previous court hearing she admitted her latest bout of offending, using her favoured method of conning good natured passers-by.

Specifically, she was convicted of trying to con Victoria York by claiming she needed taxi fare to get to hospital to visit her desperately sick child.

Ms Basden further admitted committing the same offence against John Morris, Donald Pickett and Kathleen Herbert.

All these latest offences were committed in Calcot on various days in April.

Magistrates ordered pre-sentence reports and released Ms Basden, who has previously been jailed for similar offending, on unconditional bail until October 15.

But she never showed up for the sentencing hearing.

Magistrates sentenced Ms Basden, who has moved from Newbury and currently lives in Jimmy Green Court, Coronation Square, Southcote, in Reading, to 30 weeks imprisonment.

She was also ordered to pay a statutory victim services surcharge of £156.

After sentencing her in her absence, the court ordered a warrant for her immediate arrest.