A man has been given a suspended prison sentence after he stole several hundred pounds of clothes from a Basingstoke store.

Paul Francis admitted stealing the items from Superdry in Festival Place on May 18.

The total value of the goods stolen was £204.96.

Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court was told last Thursday that Francis, of Argyle Street in Reading, had committed the offence soon after he was given a conditional discharge for fraud.

The 48-year-old was convicted by Reading Magistrates’ Court in August 2020 of the offence, and would not have faced punishment had he committed no further offences.

Francis was given an eight week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, for each offence, to be served concurrently. This means that if he commits a further offence in the next year, he faces the possibility of this sentence being activated.

During the next year, he must also complete 10 days of rehabilitation activity days, as well as 150 hours of community service.

He was further ordered to pay costs of £40 and a victim surcharge of £128.

A Basingstoke teenager allegedly had more than £1,000 of cannabis on him in order to deal it, a court has been told.

Charlie Joseph Elliott, of Sarum Hill, has been accused of possessing, with the intent to supply, 108 grams of the Class B drug in Basingstoke between August 2019 and September 2020.

The drugs had a street value of £1,080.

He is also accused of acquiring criminal property between those dates, namely cash and bank credits.

The 18-year-old did not enter pleas when appearing before Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on June 3 and his case was sent to Winchester Crown Court, where he will attend on July 7.

He has been released on unconditional bail.

A man has denied driving whilst drunk, disqualified and without insurance.

Robert Amos Black has been accused of the offences whilst behind the wheel of a vehicle on Union Lane in Kingsclere on December 13, 2020.

It is alleged that Black, of Parsons Close in Newbury, had 93 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - which would be above the drink-drive limit of 35.

The 52-year-old will now appear before Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on November 1 for the trial.

A man has denied drug driving in Basingstoke.

Andrew John Clarke, of Tweedsmuir Close, was allegedly behind the wheel of a Nissan Navara on Grafton Way on January 6, when he had Benzoylecgonine in his blood.

Benzoylecgonine is a breakdown product of cocaine.

Appearing before Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on June 3, the 35-year-old denied the charge.

He will appear before the same court on August 4 for a case management hearing.

A man caught in possession of cocaine has been fined.

Cain Grant Dorkin, of Martin Close, was found with the Class A drug in Basingstoke on March 29.

The 28-year-old was fined £200 after admitting the charge at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court last Thursday.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £40 and a £34 victim surcharge.

A woman who admitted drink driving has been temporarily banned from driving.

Shelley Aura Smithies, of Wellington Terrace, pleaded guilty to the charge when appearing at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court last week.

She admitted being more than three times the drink drive limit whilst behind the wheel of a vehicle on Popley Way on May 15.

The 44-year-old was handed an interim driving disqualification, whilst her case was adjourned to July 28 for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.