A defendant has been jailed for contempt of court after deliberately depositing faeces in the dock during a hearing at Grimsby Crown Court. Anton Barnes, 41, formerly of Grimsby and latterly of Gervase Place, Sheffield, shocked court staff and Judge Gurdial Singh with his behaviour during proceedings in Court Two.
The incident happened after Barnes had protested that he had done nothing wrong and was remanded in custody overnight. The court heard Barnes shook his leg and deposited excrement from his trouser leg onto the floor of the dock.
After he was escorted away, further faecal matter was reportedly discovered on the floor of the cell where he was being held. The incident caused significant disruption at the court.
Proceedings in Court Two were halted and a jury had to be relocated to another courtroom while specialist cleaners were brought in to sanitise the dock. Barnes later appeared before Judge Singh via video link from HMP Hull to face contempt of court proceedings.
He admitted defecating in the dock but insisted his actions had not been deliberate. Barnes told the court:
“I accept I did it. I do it all the time. I was not able to get medication. I have got bad anxiety and there was no medication.
“I was scared. I’m sorry. I didn’t do it deliberately.” He told the judge he had been unable to obtain methadone medication and said he had previously been addicted to heroin. Barnes claimed withdrawal symptoms had caused stomach pains and shaking. Judge Singh questioned why Barnes had not alerted prison officers or asked for permission to use a toilet, pointing out that toilet facilities were available near the court cells. The judge said: “You knew there were toilets. Why did you not ask me to rise so that you could use the toilet? Why did you shake your leg releasing excrement?” Barnes replied: “It was coming down the leg of my trouser.” The court heard Barnes had 54 previous convictions for a total of 109 offences. Rejecting Barnes’ explanation and finding him in contempt, Judge Singh said:
“This is the clearest possible evidence of contempt by the respondent. “In the plain sight of all he defecated. He shook his leg to allow the stool to be left in the dock.
“I can’t imagine a more contemptuous behaviour of a defendant. I find contempt. I don’t accept an apology. It flies in the face of what he did.” Barnes was sentenced to six months in prison for contempt of court. Judge Singh also thanked defence barrister Marc Luxford for his assistance in dealing with what he described as “a very unusual scenario”.
Originally published by UKNIP.
