Amber Ridgewell, a 30-year-old woman of no fixed address, has been sentenced to six months in prison after repeatedly ignoring a court order in Reading, Berkshire. On 21 March 2026, she appeared before Reading Magistrates’ Court where she admitted to four counts of breaking a behaviour order and one count of attempted burglary.
The court heard that between 3 March and 16 March 2026, Ridgewell entered Quadrant Court in Jubilee Square and Hieatt Close four times, despite being banned from those areas. She also tried to break into a home on Kendrick Road on 2 March 2026 but was stopped by the resident before she could get inside.
People living in the Katesgrove area told the Thames Valley Police they were distressed by her habit of entering the shared spaces of their buildings. PC Scott Hepburne, from the local police team, said that keeping neighbourhoods safe and secure is a top priority for the force.
A Criminal Behaviour Order is a set of rules issued by a court to restrict someone who has a history of antisocial behaviour or crime. Breaking these rules is a criminal offence that can result in a jail term of up to six months when handled by a magistrates’ court.
Ridgewell was arrested and charged on 20 March 2026 following an investigation by the Reading East Neighbourhood Team. She had previously appeared in court in 2024 for a theft that occurred at the same Quadrant Court location.
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