A Crown Court judge sent a criminal to the cells for nearly three hours because the fleece and tracksuit bottoms combo he was wearing made him look “slovenly”.
Sitting at Hull Crown Court last week, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told defendant Alan Green — who was facing a GBH charge — that his attire was “unacceptable”, subsequently adding: “I am sure his hours in the cells have done him no harm whatsoever.”
After Green’s solicitor-advocate, Paul Norton, relayed his client’s regret about his appearance, the judge went on to state: “On occasion, it is necessary to remind defendants this is a Crown Court, not a marketplace or a football match. People need to show respect and one of the ways that can be done is by turning up reasonably smartly dressed.”
Since the Hull Daily Mail broke the story yesterday, there have been suggestions that Judge Richardson’s actions may constitute “unlawful imprisonment”.
Ridiculous. Not an apology that was needed, but an appeal against this unlawful imprisonment http://t.co/lATUeJsMgK
— CrimeLine.info® (@CrimeLineLaw) September 1, 2013
Meanwhile, a debate has developed about whether Green would have been afforded more robust representation if he had been represented by a barrister rather than a solicitor-advocate.
@Defencebrief @CrimeLineLaw Doubtless local advocate, dare I say, probably HCA, won’t rock boat or cause ripples, to hell with the client…
— Tim Forte (@tim_forte) September 1, 2013