A man caused terror in court after slashing his own throat in court with a smuggled craft knife blade.
Gary Bell, 20, took the drastic action after being handed down a 16-week sentence from District Judge, Michael Fanning.
A court source who didn’t want to be named, said: “Vanessa Jones was prosecuting the case when it all kicked off and the judge sentenced him.
“Apparently he’d smuggled a craft knife blade into court by wrapping it in Rizla cigarette papers before putting it into the plastic tray for security staff.”
The court has a sizeable team of security officers who ensure all defendants walk through a scanner and who are asked to put anything metallic in a tray.
An HM Courts & Tribunals Service Spokesperson said: “We are urgently investigating this incident.”
Shocked staff at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court in Huddersfield dialled 999 while security officer ‘Barney’ suffered minor injuries in the ensuing fracas, the Huddersfield Examiner reports.
Ambulances and police cars raced to the scene and parked up on the busy ring road following the incident which occurred at 2.54pm in Court Two.
Paramedics were called into the building and minutes later, the injured man was brought out of the courtroom on a trolley and helped into a waiting ambulance.
He was taken to hospital.
Insp Mohammed Rauf, of West Yorkshire Police , said: “We can confirm that a 20-year-old man from Milnsbridge has sustained self-inflicted neck injuries while attending Kirklees Magistrates’ Court just before three o’clock this afternoon.
“He was taken by ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary with serious lacerations to his neck. A security guard at the court also sustained minor injuries.”
Bell, from Milnsbridge , was appearing for sentence having been convicted of five offences at a previous hearing.
He had pleaded guilty on July 3 to beating up two males and a female, on June 18 at Reinwood Road, Huddersfield.
He also pleaded guilty to two charges of causing criminal damage on that road on the same day.
He also caused damage costing £150 to a double glazed window belonging to Kirklees Council and damaged fencing at a cost of £50.
The case had been adjourned in order for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
Bell was being represented by Shazad Khan, of Ali & Co Solicitors, but Mr Khan declined to comment when approached for further details.
When the Examiner called at Bell’s address last night there was no response and a neighbour who identified herself only as Diane said she did not know him.
