A COURT defendant who took photos of proceedings and posted them on Facebook has been fined for his actions.
David Purkiss, of Magdalen Way in Weston, appeared at North Somerset Courthouse to plead guilty to a charge of criminal damage, relating to damage inflicted on a moped.
But during his court appearance, 26-year-old Purkiss took photographs of the courtroom on his phone and posted them on the social networking website.
Laws prohibit photos or film footage being taken in UK courtrooms, meaning Purkiss was quickly facing a second charge.
He pleaded guilty to wilfully misbehaving in a courtroom, and was fined £150 – plus a £20 victim surcharge – after the bench ruled that publication of the photos meant ‘an apology was not sufficient’.
Purkiss has now been bailed until November 25 to allow pre-sentence reports to be compiled before he is sentenced for the criminal damage offence.
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