Newbury Weekly News

3 / 96

Thursday, May 11, 2017
TO celebrate the 150th anniversary of the
Newbury Weekly News we are giving away
£10,000 this year for local good causes – with
every pound match-funded by the Greenham
Common Trust.
We have now picked a shortlist of 15 charities
registered with The Good Exchange (www.thegood-
) and we will reveal who they are in
next week’s
paper.
We will then
ask our readers
to select the
charities they
think most
deserve the
money by filling
in a voting form
printed in the
paper over the
coming 10
weeks.”
With the
matched funding from Greenham Common
Trust, the good cause with the most votes will get
£10,000, the organisation in second place will
receive £6,000 and the one in the third place will
be given £4,000.
Newbury Weekly News editor Andy Murrill
said: “Congratulations to the 15 charities that
have made it on to our shortlist and we hope our
readers really get behind them by voting for their
favourites.”
The Good Exchange is a new fundraising plat-
form which brings together organisations and
institutions offering grants to those local charita-
ble projects seeking funding, through auto-
matching criteria.
As a fundraising platform, The Good Exchange
is unique as it brings together public donations,
fundraising activities and institutional grants.
Shortlist of 15 for
£20,000 giveaway
NEWBURY Carnival Parade
now has more than 30 entries
from local clubs, groups, chari-
ties, businesses and schools.
More groups or individuals are
invited to join the parade – and
it’s completely free.
Project manager Ruth Walker
said, “We are well over half way
there already which is fabulous,
but we are keen to welcome even
more local groups to join us.
“We would particularly welcome
anything musical for the parade,
such as marching bands or a walk-
ing choir, as music is always a
special feature of Newbury Carni-
val, as is anything that is fun or
completely different of course.”
The Carnival Parade will leave
Pound Street at 2pm and will
wind through Bartholomew and
Northbrook Streets to the Clock
Tower, ending at Victoria Park.
The theme for this year’s carni-
val is Myth and Legend and Ms
Walker said: “We had lots of fun
deciding on the parade theme
from the brilliant ideas given to
us.
“We hope that everyone will
feel inspired to enter with all
sorts of great ideas around the
theme of Myths and Legends,
which, in addition to the tradi-
tional meaning, may include
someone or something that can
be described as a legend too.”
Recent entries for this year’s
parade include PALS (Partners
for Active Leisure Scheme),
Whitelands Park Primary School,
a 1967 Dennis RS Fire Appliance
with water tender, Newbury and
District Agricultural Society and
a clown called Rainbow.
Newbury Royal British Legion,
winners of the Best Community
Group Entry in 2015, are also
returning with their 2017 entry of
Music Legends
The carnival and fete, from
noon to 6pm, will include rides
and activities for all ages, a wide
range of food and refreshment
stalls, trade stands, many local
groups, charities and arts and
crafts.
Admission is also free.
For more information and to
book a spot go to www.newburycar-
or email hello@
Join in Newbury Carnival parade
A SEX pest who pawed and
propositioned women shop-
pers is a failed asylum seeker
avoiding deportation.
The 23-year-old former
Newbury College student told
police he targeted the women
because he was “desperate for
sex”.
Hawkar Shwani has been
given a deportation order and
fired from his job operating a
kebab van in Newbury town
centre.
But the Home Office will only
act if he was sent to prison, Read-
ing magistrates heard on Tues-
day, May 9.
Maddy Charlesworth, prose-
cuting, said Mr Shwani,
formerly of Florence Gardens,
Thatcham, but who now lives in
Fifth Road, Newbury, groped his
first victim as she shopped in
Tesco in Pinchington Lane,
Newbury.
She added: “He was spoken to
by security staff – the woman
was quite shaken by the inci-
dent.”
Mr Shwani then targeted a
woman in nearby Boots, touch-
ing her bottom.
Ms Chaddleworth said: “She
spun round and asked what he
thought he was doing.
“He apologised, but seconds
later she felt further contact, this
time more of a grab to her
bottom.”
The woman shouted: “Get
your hands off me”, the court
heard, but Mr Shwani insisted:
“Just talk to me”, before proposi-
tioning her, mentioning a sex act
he wanted to carry out.
Ms Chaddleworth said the
woman was “shocked, embar-
rassed and humiliated”.
CCTV footage later showed Mr
Shwani circling the aisle and
masturbating through his cloth-
ing, magistrates were told.
In interview, Shwani apolo-
gised, admitted his actions and
explained he was “desperate for
sex”, said Ms Chaddleworth.
Mr Shwani admitted two
counts of sexual assault on April
13.
Robert Slinn, defending, said
his client had risked his life to
smuggle his way into Britain
from Iraq seven years ago in the
back of a lorry.
He was enrolled in a Newbury
College course and worked at a
kebab van in Newbury while his
asylum applications were
processed, the court heard.
But his bid to stay was rejected
and all subsequent appeals
failed, said Mr Slinn.
He said his client was remorse-
ful, and added: “An immediate
custodial sentence would very
likely result in him being
deported immediately.”
A probation officer told the
court that, because of Mr
Shwani’s status as an illegal
immigrant, a sex offender’s
treatment programme was not
an option.
She added: “Because of his
status we’re unable to offer inter-
vention in the community.
“A deportation notice has been
served on him and I asked the
Home Office why he’s still in this
country – he can’t claim benefits,
has no work and no funds.
“They said if he receives an
immediate prison sentence they
will complete the deportation.”
Mr Shwani lost his job at the
kebab van when authorities
informed his employer, the court
heard.
Presiding magistrate Brenda
Harding told Mr Shwani: “These
were very unpleasant incidents
that will have had a quite
profound effect on your victims.
“But we understand the posi-
tion you’re in.”
The bench imposed a 16-week
prison sentence, but suspended
it for 12 months.
Mr Shwani was also ordered to
pay a statutory victim services
surcharge of £115.
Suspended prison
term for sex pest
Failed asylum seeker facesdeportation aftergroping women
Report by JOHNGARVEY
email john.gar vey@newbur
twitter @johng_nwn
“
Thesewerevery
unpleasant incidents
thatwillhavehad
aquiteprofound
effectonyour
victims
THOSE looking to spend a
penny in Newbury will have to
pay 20p for the privilege with
work to install turnstiles at
the Wharf public toilets set to
get underway later this
month.
Newbury Town Council will be
installing the paddle gates
between May 22 and 23.
The toilets will remain open
during this time.
Once the paddle gates have
been installed, there will be a 20p
charge to use the facility – 5p, 10p,
20p and 50p pieces will be
accepted, but no change will be
given.
Newbury Town Council has
confirmed that the 20p charge
will go towards the maintenance
and cleaning of the toilets.
The cost of the turnstiles is
thought to be in the region of
£10,000 (to be covered by West
Berkshire Council) and is
expected to bring in around
£5,520 each year.
The town council took over the
running of the toilets from West
Berkshire Council last year as
the district council struggled to
slash millions of pounds from its
budget owing to the unprece-
dented government cuts in
2016.
20p charge to spend a penny
Ref:28-2915M
Thousands turned outtowatch thecarnival parade in2015
A L SHAQAB LOC K I NGE DAY
01635 40015
SATURDAY 20 MAY 2017
NEWBURY RACECOURSE PRESENTS
THE BEST DAY OUT
BY A MILE
BOOK
NOW
W E A T H E R B Y S S U P E R S P R I N T DAY
01635 40015 BOOK
NOW
SATURDAY 22 JULY 2017
WI TH
L I V E A T N E W B U R Y
Newbury Weekly News