Jersey Unreported Judgments

Contempt of Court.

[2023]JRC202

Royal Court

(Samedi)

27 October 2023

The Attorney General

-v-

Georgina Louise Bellot

Sentencing by the Inferior Number, following a guilty plea to the following charge:

Age:  38.

Plea: Guilty.

Details of Offence:

On Friday 13 January 2023 the Defendant attended the Royal Court in support of a person being sentenced.  Due to Court availability, the Samedi Court sat in the States Chamber.  Before entering the States Chamber, via Hill Street, the Defendant had walked past a number of signs listing restrictions which apply when people are in Court, including that mobile telephones are not to be used.

The Defendant sat in the public gallery set above the States Chamber.  She sat down behind and above the Crown Advocate who was appearing and from this position she could see down into the States Chamber and was able to see the Crown Advocate's laptop screen.

At the start of the Samedi Court sitting, the Court Usher gave a verbal warning to all present that mobile phones should be switched off or turned on to silent.

The Court proceeded in the usual way.  When the Crown Advocate had finished addressing the Court in relation to the sentencing hearing, he sat down.  The Defendant could see the screen of his laptop and formed the view that what he appeared to be looking at was not material relating to the Court proceedings and that he should not have been looking at this during the hearing. 

After the Court session had finished, the Defendant approached a Court Officer to tell him that she had taken a photograph of the Crown Advocate's laptop because she believed he had been "surfing the net" whilst Court had been in session.  She stated that this was unprofessional and that he should only have been looking at material which related to the sentencing hearing.  The Defendant did not show the Court Officer the photograph she had taken.

Details of Mitigation:

Guilty plea on first appearance and cooperative in interview.  Offence came to light because Defendant approached a member of court staff and told them what she had done. 

Previous Convictions:

16 previous convictions, last dated 2007.  All of a different nature and given their age, Defendant treated as being of good character.

Conclusions:

Sentence and Observations of Court:

L. Sette, Esq., Crown Advocate.

Advocate N. B. R. Mière for the Defendant.

JUDGMENT

THE Lieutenant BAILIFF:

1.        Would you stand up please. 

2.        For reasons that will follow in a judgment which we shall deliver later, we are not accepting the Crown's conclusions in this case.  There will be a sentence of 3 days' imprisonment, which will be suspended for 12 months. 

3.        I must warn you that if you should reoffend within the period of twelve months, if you do anything that amounts to criminal conduct, the sentence will be activated and you will have to serve it.  But at the moment you will walk out of this court today free.  We think that is a more appropriate determination than a fine; the reasons why we think that will appear in our judgment in due course. 

4.        I must ask you to stay Miss Bellot please, after court and sign a form with the Greffier here.  You need to stay in court afterwards and sign a form, thank you. 

5.        The time limited for filing a notice of appeal will not run until the reasons have been handed down.

Authorities

R v Smith (Amanda Ann) [2016] EWCA Crim 1562.

R v D [2004] EWCA Crim 1271.

Criminal Justice Act 1925.