Teenager jailed for taking photo at Luton Crown Court.

A teenager has been jailed for two months for taking a photograph of a court room from the public gallery during proceedings.

Paul Thompson, 19, from Luton, had gone to the town's crown court to support a friend facing a custodial sentence for robbing an off-duty police officer.
He got a message on his BlackBerry phone from a girl asking where he was.
He was spotted taking a picture which he sent to her and Judge Barbara Mensah jailed him for contempt of court.

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This is a serious offence and the message must go out that people cannot take photos”

Judge Barbara Mensah

She said: "There are notices all around the court building about not taking photographs in court.

"This is a serious offence and the message must go out that people cannot take photos."
As she jailed him on Friday he said: "That's stupid man".
'Stupid idiot' After Thompson was seen taking the photo his phone was seized and he was taken to the cells.
An hour later he was brought into the dock and admitted being in contempt of court.
Thompson's defence barrister John Livingstone told the judge the teenager had admitted being "a stupid idiot".
He said: "It was not a photograph of anyone in particular and he did not notice any signs forbidding this behaviour.
"This has been a very big shock for him."
He said Thompson was very concerned as he had left his eight week old puppy alone in his flat in Luton, and the dog was not house trained and no one else had access to the property.