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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Teenage boy jailed for taking call in court

A MAGISTRATE has jailed a teen for answering his mobile phone in court.

The 17-year-old let his mobile ring with the music of US rapper Akon before he answered the call while sitting in the front row of Darwin Magistrates Court yesterday.

When the teen "backchatted'' after he was told off, magistrate Daynor Trigg shouted across the courtroom and sent him to the court cells for three hours.

The magistrate said he could have confiscated the phone for 28 days for the "rude'' act.

"How dare you answer a phone in court ... that allows transmissions from court ... which is a serious contempt,'' he shouted at the teen when he answered the phone.

When the teen waved it off as "my bad'', Mr Trigg ordered he be taken away.

The teen was in court to face two charges of entering a dwelling with intent and stealing when his phone rang, and Mr Trigg charged him with contempt of court.

When the youth was brought back into court he apologised.

"Sorry your honour for um ... having my phone on and answering it during court and backchatting,'' the teen said.


Click here to read the full story in the Northern Territory News

Original here

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