Here is an excellent account of what happened to Norman in Bradford Court so that he subsequently was sent to Leeds Prison. It says:

On 25 July 2011, Norman (85) and I went into Courtroom 5 in Bradford Crown Court to listen to a case. We sat in the public gallery, which is separated from the body of the court and partitioned by a glass panel, next to the defendant’s mother (93). Both these elderly people have hearing difficulties, therefore the Court’s support worker was requested to provide ‘hearing loops’. The ‘loops’ were not made available before the hearing started. None of us could properly hear the proceedings therefore I stood up to hear better. The judge, Jonathan Rose, immediately ordered me to sit down. I informed him that the ‘hearing loops’ had not been provided for the elderly people and I could not hear either. I asked whether we could move closer. Judge Rose ignored this and ordered me to sit down or leave the court. He was not at all sympathetic and was quite aggressive. I sat down and whispered my complaint to the court official that the hearing should not have started until she had supplied the ‘loops’. She apologised to me for not providing them nor being able to interrupt the judge to do so.

Norman decided to record the proceedings with an audio-video device (knowing that court transcripts can be edited). A support worker who was sat behind us alerted Judge Rose who then ordered Norman to hand it over so that the contents could be forensically examined. Norman denounced the judge and the support worker. Judge Rose issued instructions for the police to arrest Norman for ‘contempt of court’. He was handcuffed and taken away.

A ‘hearing loop’ was then provided for the defendant’s mother. After the hearing, Norman was brought back to the courtroom in handcuffs and represented by a court-appointed barrister, Oliver Jarvis of Exchange Chambers, Manchester. Norman issued an apology through Mr Jarvis (for what he had called the support worker, but not for recording). Judge Rose ordered that Norman be detained overnight and brought back for sentencing the following day (26 July).

Norman liked Oliver Jarvis but chose to represent himself on 26 July.

Outcome: Six months imprisonment and one year ban from entering court premises.

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