Stockton man threatens judge and leaves jurors 'in tears' after being found guilty of voyeurism

Jurors were left "in tears" after a defendant shouted threats after he was found guilty of trying to film a teenage girl.

Daniel Larson also threw a phone across the courtroom in anger and tried to climb out of the dock after the jury found him guilty of voyeurism.

The 34-year-old had to be restrained by security guards and a police officer in court.

Larson, from Stockton, on Teesside, then shouted threats at the jury, leaving three members in tears, before threatening the judge.

He ripped the telephone, kept in the glass dock area of the court, out of its socket, and threw it across the room, almost hitting his own barrister Robert Mochrie.

Sitting at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Jonathan Carroll told Larson: "You made three direct threats to me, but you didn't frighten or intimidate me. You made four direct threats to the jury.

"You showed signs, on two occasions, that you would climb out of the dock and it was only when you were restrained, that I could release the jury - three of whom were in tears.

"The security guards and the police officer acted speedily and professionally to deal with the situation.

"I commend the dock officer, a woman on her own in the dock, who behaved with the utmost professional response. This was an affront to the criminal justice process. The court clerk was distressed."

Judge Carroll rejected Larson's apology because he said that the "jury convicted me on no evidence at all."

"It shows that you are not sorry. It's a qualified apology," Judge Carroll said.

He jailed Larson for nine months for voyeurism and added an additional seven months to the sentence for his contempt of court.

In addition to his 16-month prison sentence, Larson, of Wembley Way in Stockton, was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

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