Leigh Park man said he 'wanted to shoot judge' after branding Portsmouth Crown Court hearing a 'joke'

Sean Fagan, 34, of Botley Drive, Leigh Park, had been at someone else’s case at Portsmouth Crown Court on July 10.

He left the courtroom and was heard on the stairs saying the outcome of the other case was a ‘joke,’ magistrates were told.

‘He’s at crown court, he’s attended someone else’s court case, I don’t think he was too happy about how things had transpired,’ prosecutor Giles Fletcher said.

‘He’s walked out the courtroom, he’s coming down the stairs in the crown court and he’s heard by security guards to say the words... “joke” and he made a comment about wanting to shoot the judge.’

When challenged by a security guard Fagan said ‘you too’ and swore at him.

Fagan left the building but when he tried to get back in he was told he was not allowed.

‘You want to have a fight with me?’ he told security at the Winston Churchill Avenue building.

At a hearing at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court, Mr Fletcher added: ‘The security guard obviously said to him they didn’t want to fight him.’

Fagan, who has 16 past offences, shot back more abuse calling one guard a ‘black...’ but eventually left the area.

One security guard later told police: ‘I was shocked about the abuse I received from Mr Fagan.

‘I’ve been concerned if I leave the court on my lunch break he could hanging around waiting for me.’

Fagan later told police he was so drunk he barely remembered the day, but admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour causing fear of violence.

He admitted a charge of racially-aggravated causing harassment, alarm or distress.

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Fagan has ‘alcohol and mental health difficulties’, the court heard, but had been working throughout the pandemic.

Magistrates ordered him to pay £100 compensation to each security guard and serve an 18-month community order with 25 days’ rehabilitation activities and 100 hours’ unpaid work.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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