The Court of Appeal heard that His Honour Judge Kelson, sitting at Durham Crown Court, told Ian West of Middlesbrough set Fountain Chambers to sit down six times.

West, representing a defendant charged with theft and perverting the course of justice, failed to return to court as requested.

At a subsequent hearing Kelson found West to have been in contempt of court and fined him ‘for conscious defiance’.  Challenging the fine before Sir Brian Leveson, West countered that the judge had been rude to him and ‘terse and laconic’ throughout the hearing. Judgment was reserved.