Witness intimidation pair, Jake Bozarth and Jake Blandford from Newbury, denied bail

TWO teenagers have been locked up to await sentence for intimidating a witness to a crime.

One of the pair admitted possessing a knife at the time.

In the dock at Reading Crown Court on Monday, March 18, were Jake Bozarth and Jake Blandford.

Both 19-year-olds, who had been living in Dickens Walk, Greenham, had been due to go on trial.

But, following a day of legal wrangling, each changed their pleas.

The court heard the victim, Callum Brown, had been helping police with an investigation into an incident involving serious violence in the Greenham area last September.

This led to police temporarily imposing a Section 60 order.

A Section 60 order can only be put in place in a defined area at a specific time when a senior police officer believes there is a possibility of serious violence, or weapons being carried.

The order temporarily enhances powers for officers, meaning they can stop and search anyone in the designated area.

At Monday’s hearing Bozarth admitted possessing a bladed article on September 9 last year.

He further admitted a charge of witness intimidation on the same occasion.

Bozarth was remanded in custody.

Blandford, meanwhile, admitted a single charge of witness intimidation on the basis that he had no knowledge that Bozarth had a bladed article at the time, and this was accepted by the prosecution.

Daniel O’Donoghue, barrister for Blandford, pleaded with Judge Kirsty Real to grant his client bail in the meantime.

He said: “The reality is, in my respectful submission, that Mr Blandford played a relatively peripheral role.

“He didn’t know about the weapon in Mr Bozarth’s possession.

“He was sat outside his house, not outside the complainant’s house, although they lived in close proximity.”

Mr O’Donoghue added: “It isn’t the case that he has gone round to Mr Brown’s house to lie in wait for him.”

He pointed out that his client had no previous convictions, only cautions from when he was a youth.

The court has indicated a sentencing hearing may not take place until June.

Mr O’Donoghue said: “There’s a risk he will have served beyond his term by the time this comes to be sentenced in almost three months.

“There would still be the option of a longer custodial sentence; meanwhile he has an address available to him outside Dickens Walk.

“I understand the complainant now resides at an address outside the area so the risk to him is minimal, in my submission.”

Despite his pleas, Judge Real said: “Because of the nature of the offence, witness intimidation, I’m not prepared to give bail today.”

She ordered pre-sentence reports to be prepared on both defendants, who were meanwhile remanded in custody.