Keeping a child out of school and drink driving are among the offences that have seen Watford area residents appear in court in recent weeks.

Our round-up includes a landlord ordered to pay £280,000 for illegally operating "micro-flats" and a man who allegedly possessed an improvised weapon in prison.

A Watford man has also been jailed after memorably claiming to have been a member of Russia's notorious Wagner Group

Read our round-up below:

Frank Brinkley

Brinkley,23, has been charged with eight counts of having an improvised weapon in prison.

The Loates Lane resident appeared in Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on October 23 and now will face a Crown Court hearing on November 20.

According to court documents, two charges refer to sharpened metal, two charges refer to a snapped metal conduit, one refers to a piece of metal folded with a pointed end, one refers to metal sharpened and wrapped with a paper handle, and one refers to a sharpened piece of metal wrapped in green cloth.

Dinesh Maheswaran

Maheswaran appeared in Albans Magistrates’ Court on October 31, having pleaded guilty to driving a car while the level of alcohol in his breath was over the limit.

The Hindhead Green resident has been ordered to pay £3,450 after admitting to drink driving in Watford town centre.

The 37-year-old was disqualified from driving for 23 months starting from October 1 and fined £2,000. He was also ordered to pay £650 in costs, and an £800 surcharge.

Piotr Kucharski

Kucharski, of The Glebe, will spend two-and-a-half years behind bars after claiming to have been a member of the infamous Wagner Group.

In October 2023, Kucharski attended a combat re-enactment in Stonham Aspal, Suffolk, despite previously being banned from the group.

While there he threatened other participants, telling people he was a member of Wagner Group and that he had previously fought in Ukraine.

Following a disagreement with another attendee, the 49-year-old made a cutthroat gesture and began slashing the air with a knife.

After officers from Suffolk Police were called, he was initially arrested for a public order offence and possession of a bladed article.

He was then subsequently re-arrested under terrorism legislation after officers noticed Wagner Group badges sown to his camouflage jacket.

Kucharski was charged with professing to be a member of a proscribed organisation, contrary to section 11 (1) of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Watford parent fined

A parent has been ordered to pay more than £300 after their child failed to attend a Watford school regularly.

The 41-year-old appeared in St Albans Magistrates’ Court on November 6 and admitted to being the parent of a child of compulsory school age, registered at a school, who failed to attend regularly.

During the court appearance they were fined £146 as well as being ordered to pay a £58 victim services surcharge and £125 in costs. The total must be paid by December 4.

According to court documents, the defendant's guilty plea was taken into account when the sentence was imposed.

Their seven-year-old apparently failed to attend the primary school regularly between November 19, 2022, and January 20, 2023.

Krzysztof Pogwizd

Finally, a Rickmansworth landlord has been ordered to pay out more than £280,000 for turning a semi-detached home into five “micro-flats” without permission.

On October 30 at Isleworth Crown Court, Krzysztof Pogwizd, of Rasehill Close , was ordered to pay a confiscation order and fine after Ealing Council said he “consistently” ignored warnings to return the Dorchester Road property to a single home.

According to the London council, the “micro-flats” lacked planning permission and breached “multiple” planning policies.

Mr Pogwizd was  summoned to Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, where he admitted to breaching an enforcement notice, and then the crown court where he was ordered to pay a confiscation order, fine, surcharge, and costs totalling £282,915.07.