A SPECTATOR at York Crown Court had his phone confiscated and had to explain himself to the city’s most senior judge when he was spotted apparently using it to take a snapshot during a hearing.

Taking photos during a court hearing is a crime and can led to the photographer being jailed.

Shane Rayner was at York Crown Court to support defendant Samantha Rayner, 21. While waiting for her case to be called, he sat in on a different case.

As he used his phone during a case of a man accused of indecent exposure, his actions were spotted and he was reported to the Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, who immediately ordered the phone to be handed over to a member of court staff.

Rayner was later ordered to appear before the judge. As he stood before him, the judge was given the phone and read the text Rayner had sent to his girlfriend from inside the court.

“I am satisfied you were sending a text message and it wasn’t a deliberate attempt to photograph a person in court,” the judge told him. “There are very clear warnings set out in the notices around court. Let it not happen again.”

Rayner apologised in writing to the judge.