UNFORTUNATELY, Christmas time does not automatically mean a break in the amount of crimes that occur across Berkshire.

Over the years, the festive period has been home to some horrific incidents which have later played out in courts.

Here is a round-up of some incidents which have occurred over the years in December:

-

On December 3 2022, a fight outside the Christmas shop in Broad Street at about 6pm leaving a woman seriously injured.

Read more about this story here: Woman dragged out of Reading Christmas shop and kicked in stomach

She was 'dragged out of the shop' and kicked in the stomach multiple times by another woman.

Police released an appeal at the time to get more information about the culprit.

-

On Christmas Eve, 2021, three  ‘masked men’ entered a house in an incident that led to an altercation with the occupants.

The offenders fled the scene in a white van which was later recovered by police.

Read more about this story here: 'Masked burglars' flee in van after Christmas Eve 'altercation' in Caversham

No arrests were made following the incident but officers were investigating the incident.

-

On December 20, 2021, burglars 'pillaged' a charity shop in Reading.

They stole £2,000 from the safe of Sue Ryder in Tilehurst, took all the store’s jewellery and a box of chocolates gifted to its volunteers as a Christmas present.

Manager Simon Barlow described opening the shop to find it had been ransacked. “The mess was just horrible to walk into,” he said.

Read more about this story here: Burglars 'pillage' Sue Ryder Reading before Christmas

“To come into that place that’s been totally pillaged is just disgusting. It took me three hours just to clean the mess up."

Mr Barlow and his team of 22 volunteers were getting ready to launch their Christmas sale, raising money for people needing end of life care at the Duchess of Kent Hospice, Liebenrood Road, Reading.

-

On Boxing Day, 2018, Angela Mittal was 41 years old when she was stabbed almost 60 times by her partner Laurens Brand.

Brands, of Parker Close, Shinfield, admitted the murder at Reading Crown Court and was jailed for a minimum of 16 years and eight months the following May.

Read more about this story here: Husband stabbed wife nearly 60 times during Boxing Day attack jailed for life

The 47-year-old called 999 minutes after he violently stabbed his wife and he has used two different knives.

Read about an upcoming inquest into Angela's death here.

-

On December 27, 2015, an immigrant who overstayed his visa throttled to death and attempted to blame the incident on his victim’s alcoholism.

Damir Begmatov had been to the casino with his friend Ferdinand Castro on Sunday, December 27 when he returned to the London Road flat he shared with Bobir Esanov and choked him to death.

Read more about this story here: Man convicted for Christmas murder of 36-year-old Bobir Esanov

The men, both from Uzbekistan, had a history of heavy drinking and fighting and the jury were showed a video of Begmatov strangling his victim until he passed out on another occasion.

Begmatov fled to Swindon before being arrested on New Year’s Day.

-

On Christmas Day in 2019, 36-year-old Philip Deans was found severely injured in the High Street in Slough.

He died on Boxing Day from his injuries and Dawid Debski, 25, of Faraday Close, Slough, was arrested.

Read more about this story here: Man charged with murder after fatally injured man is found in Slough High Street

Debksi was later jailed for his 'callous' attack for six years after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

-

On Christmas Day, 2021, a man was arrested within the grounds of Windsor Castle on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon.

Officers from Thames Valley Police (TVP) and the Metropolitan Police responded to a security breach on Saturday at around 8.30am within the grounds of the castle in Berkshire where the Queen is in residence.

Read more about this story here: Police issue update on Windsor Castle Christmas Day crossbow intruder

The 19-year-old was detained under the Mental Health Act and remains in the care of medical professionals.

-

A man was charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a teenage boy was hit and killed just days before Christmas in 2022.

James Lavine 34, of Boundary Road, Wooburn Green, was charged with one count of causing death by dangerous driving after 13-year-old Max Simmons was hit by a red Audi TT in Cookham on December 21 in Slough.

Read more about this story here: Boy, 13, killed in car crash just days before Christmas - man charged

Max was rushed to hospital following the crash in Switchback Road North at around 1.25pm on December 21.

It was later heard Lavine was five times over the legal limit for metabolite cocaine and was jailed after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving.

-

On Christmas Day, 2022, a man broke into Slough Bowls Club on Chalvey Road East in the late hours of the evening.

CCTV cameras showed two men going through several rooms, behind the bar area and one dismantled a pool table, before leaving, carrying large tote-style bags.

Read more about this story here: Slough man guilty of burglary after breaking into Slough bowls club

Several items were stolen including spirits from the bar and storage room, valued at around £800, the contents of the pool table, an unknown amount of cash from the bar till, a wall safe in the office containing an unknown amount of cash and several keys for internal and external doors and shutters, which were in a key safe in the office

Mark Robson, aged 37, of Harrow Road, Slough, pleaded guilty to two counts of non-residential burglary.