Newbury Weekly News

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Thursday, May 11, 2017
Team leader who
swindled £10k
is spared jail
A NEWBURY man who swindled more than
£10,000 from his employers has avoided jail.
James Parsons deceived unwitting colleagues by
inventing fake customers demanding refunds on
goods purchased at the Wickes store in Canal View
Road.
A team leader at the store, Parsons, of Martin-
gale Close, then pocketed the cash for himself and
also stole goods from the shop.
He pleaded guilty to stealing cash and goods
when he appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court
on March 2.
The court heard how Parsons would ask
colleagues to complete refund forms and ask them
to leave the cash for the fictitious customer to
collect.
He then used his knowledge of store procedure to
hide the envelopes in places his colleagues
wouldn’t think to look.
Parsons, aged 30, was sentenced to 10 months’
imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, at Read-
ing Crown Court last week and was ordered to pay
£8,500 compensation to Wickes within 18 months.
He also has to carry out 200 hours of unpaid
work, 30 sessions of a thinking skills programme
and a complete a 10-day rehabilitation activity.
The thefts occurred between August 2016 and
November 2016.
In total he completed 65 transactions, pocketing
a total of £9,653.51 in cash.
Goods totalling £405.46 taken from Wickes with-
out payment were found at Parsons’ home address
during a house search.
Magistrates heard that Parsons stole to fund his
cocaine addiction, an online gambling habit and to
repay debts to loan companies.
Woman took her
own life on holiday
A YOUNG woman from
Thatcham intentionally took
her own life while on holiday in
Lithuania, a coroner has ruled.
Rachael Perkins, 21, had been
expressing “dark thoughts” and
had created a series of morbid
drawings of her own death, the
inquest heard.
Her body was discovered on the
morning of Monday, July 11, in a
play park in the Lithuanian capi-
tal Vilnius, where she had been
visiting the family of her
boyfriend.
The cause of death was given as
hanging.
Assistant coroner for Berk-
shire, Emma Jones, recorded a
verdict of suicide – telling the
inquest she was satisfied that
Miss Perkins, of Druce Way, had
intended to take her own life.
The former Reading College
student, who had a history of
mental illness and cannabis use,
had not been seen since walking
off from her partner, Edwyn Jaro-
sevic, the previous evening at
around 11pm.
The inquest heard howMr Jaro-
sevic had to run to catch up with
his girlfriend, before stopping to
light his cigarette.
In a statement given to the
Lithuanian authorities, which
was read out at the inquest, Mr
Jarosevic said: “At that point
Rachael did not stop and kept on
walking.
“I turned around to light my
cigarette – I turned back, but
could not see her.
“I just turned my back for a
second and could not understand
how she could disappear.”
Mr Jarosevic reported her miss-
ing to the police the following
afternoon when she failed to
return to his parents’ home.
Speaking to the Lithuanian
authorities, Mr Jarosevic had said
his girlfriend did not seem
annoyed and had been acting
“normal” before she disappeared.
A previous inquest hearinghad
been adjourned in November
owing to a lack of information
surrounding the death from the
Lithuanian authorities.
In a separate statement to the
English coroner, Mr Jarosevic had
described Miss Perkins as feeling
“stressed” in the moments before
she went missing, which had
caused him to become “agitated”.
Miss Perkins had previously
been diagnosed with anxiety and
obsessive compulsive disorder,
and had suffered a breakdown in
2012, which had been linked to her
use of cannabis at the time.
According to Mr Jarosevic’ s
statement, Miss Perkins had
stopped using drugs 10 days prior
to her death.
A post mortem examination
found traces of cannabis in Miss
Perkins’ blood and urine.
However, the drug can remain
in the body for a number of
weeks.
No alcohol was found in her
system and no other injuries were
noted.
In a further statement read out
at the inquest, Mr Jarosevic had
said he was aware of Miss Perkins’
previous mental health issues and
talked about conversations he had
had with her.
“Once she said she did not see
any point in living,” he told
police.
“She had dark thoughts.”
The inquest also heard how,
after arriving in Lithuania on
July 3, concerns had been raised
by Mr Jarosevic’s family when
Miss Perkins revealed a drawing
she had made of (what was
believed to be) herself lying in a
coffin.
Miss Perkins’ parents told the
inquest how a series of similar
drawings had been discovered in
her room following her death.
After considering the evidence,
the coroner told Miss Perkins
parents: “In my opinion, it was
very important to obtain this file
of evidence from the Lithuanian
authorities.”
Concluding the inquest, Mrs
Jones said: “She obviously
thought about how she’s going to
do it, coupled with past mental
health difficulties, that drawing
she did of the coffin and express-
ing ‘dark thoughts’.
“Taking all the evidence into
account, I’m satisfied that she did
intend to take her own life on this
occurrence and that it was more
than a cry for help.
“Therefore, I will record a
verdict of suicide.”
21-year-old hadexpressed ‘dark thoughts’ before herdeath
Report by CHRISORD
email chris.ord@newbur
twitter @chriso_nwn
“ Onceshesaidshe
didnotseeany
point inliving
Demolition workhasstarted ontheSterling Cables tower
End of an era as tower comes down
THE end of an era on
Newbury’s skyline is drawing
closer.
The demolition of the town’s
‘eyesore’, the Sterling Cables
tower, got into full swing this
week as the site is prepared for
housing.
Developer Amirantes will
build 167 flats in place of the 250ft
tower.
The new homes will be spread
across eight blocks, varying in
height between three and eight
storeys.
A new road, which will be
constructed as part of the Ster-
ling Industrial Estate redevelop-
ment, will link Hector’s Way and
Kings Road.
Improvements will also be
made to the Boundary Road
bridge so that it can accommo-
date two-way traffic, with pedes-
trian footpaths installed.
When the plans were approved
in 2015, Bucklebury ward
member Graham Pask (Con)
said: “This site has been an
eyesore for 30 years or more.
“It’s probably the worst site we
have got.
“The need to do something
with it is inevitable.”
TheSterling Cables tower has
dominated Newbury’sskyline
Pensioner admits sex offences
A THATCHAM pensioner and
member of a local church
congregation has been
spared a prison sentence f or
committing sex offences.
Eighty-seven-year-old Ernest
Smith, of Coombe Cour t, who
attends the United Reformed
Church, admitted two charges
under the Sexual Of fences Act
2003 and appeared for sentenc-
ing at Reading Crown Court on
Tuesday, May 2.
Steve Molloy, defending, said
his client had been mar ried
twice.
Mr Smith’s first wife had died
in tragic circumstances and he
had nursed his second wife
through Parkinson’s disease
until her death, after 48 years of
marriage, the court heard.
Judge Alexia Dur ran
imposed a prison sentence of
two years, but said she would
suspend this f or a two-year
period.
In addition, Mr Smith was
required to sign the Sex Offend-
ers Register and made subject
to a 45-days rehabilitation activ-
ity requirement.
Finally, he was made subject
to a Sexual Harm Prevention
Order.
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