Recent round-up of Watford area residents taken to court

The list of cases dealt with includes a 29-year-old who was jailed over a batch of dangerous synthetic heroin, as well as a 58-year-old from Watford accused of breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

A 30-year-old man from Bushey was also ordered to pay almost £1,000 for speeding in a 20mph zone in North London.

Read the full list below:

Andrew Layton 

Andrew Layton, of St Albans Road, appeared at Leamington Spa Magistrates' Court on Friday, August 30, charged with breaching his sexual harm prevention order and failure to comply with the requirements of the sexual offenders' register.

The 58-year-old was accused of buying and installing "a number of" small Wi-Fi digital cameras capable of storing images and videos in Stratford Upon Avon on November 21, 2023. He had been banned from doing so under an order from Snaresbrook Crown Court in 2020.

Layton was also charged with failing to notify police of changing his address within seven days in Stratford Upon Avon on December 5 last year.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges and was released on conditional bail until the trial at Coventry Magistrates’ Court on April 3, 2025.

Daniel Harlley

Daniel Harlley, 29, was one of three men sentenced after a police investigation into a drugs line, called the ‘Chris Line’, which was suspected of being involved in the supply of synthetic opioids under the guise of heroin.

Daniel Harlley. (Image: Herts Police) The drugs are believed to have been involved in “several medical episodes’ in Watford, according to Herts Police.

Harlley, of Vicarage Road, Watford, was sentenced, alongside two men from London, for conspiracy to supply class A drugs at St Albans Crown Court on Thursday, August 29.

Stav Gal 

Stav Gal, of Merry Hill Mount in Bushey, was due to at Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court on Friday (August 30) charged with driving at 28mph in a 20mph limit in St Johns Wood, North London, on November 27 last year.

Although the 30-year-old did not appear in court, magistrates found him guilty in his absence. 

He was ordered to pay £958, which included a £220 fine and £650 of court costs, as well as three points to his licence.

Rebeca Windibank

Rebeca Windibank, of Queens Avenue in Watford, appeared at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on Thursday (September 4) charged with stealing £90 worth of chocolates from a Tesco Express in Peterborough on May 31.

The 31-year-old did not enter a plea and was released on bail before her next hearing at the same court on October 8. 

Michael Gordon

Michael Gordon, of Highlands in Watford, also appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Friday, August 30, over multiple driving offences on the M3 near Eastleigh in Hampshire on May 24.

The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to driving an Iveco van on the motorway while disqualified, and while he did not have either insurance or a seatbelt on.

Magistrates ordered him to pay £365, of which there was a £200 fine, and gave him six points to his licence.

Paul Yates

Paul Yates, of Rosslyn Road in Watford, appeared at Hatfield Magistrates’ Court on Monday (September 2) charged with stealing a Paco Rabanne fragrance worth £76 from The Perfume Shop in atria Watford on August 31.

The 50-year-old pleaded guilty and was fined £100.

atria Watford. (Image: Newsquest)

Georgina Rust

Georgina Rust, of Highfield Way in Rickmansworth, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, September 3, charged with two counts of failing to comply with pay-as-you-earn regulations.

The 34-year-old denied failing to pay a security deposit on PAYE taxes in Watford on February 22, which may be required under HM Revenue and Customs rules if officers believe a tax bill may not be paid on time.

Rust was released on unconditional bail before her next hearing at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on September 18.

Vimal Pandey

Vimal Pandey, of Links Way in Croxley Green, appeared at Aldershot Justice Centre on Monday, September 2, charged with speeding on the M3 in Hampshire on November 3 last year.

The 43-year-old admitted driving his Skoda at 79mph between the Fleet Services and junction 4A. He was ordered to pay £593 of which there was a £345 fine, and was given three points to his licence.