Women guilty over Norwich Crown Court judge tirade

Three women were ordered to spend a day in a court's cells after a "vulgar" and unprovoked tirade against a judge.

Vicky Bartram, 42, became abusive after her son was sentenced to 40 weeks in a young offenders' institution.

Two others - Chanelle Godden, 20, and Simone Morgan, 56 - also took part in the "very personal attack".

Judge Katharine Moore pressed the panic alarm to ask for help from security as the women made references to her gender and family, at Norwich Crown Court.

The women pleaded guilty to being in contempt of court during the incident on 31 July.

Sentencing the trio to a day in the cells at a separate hearing, Judge Anthony Bate said: "It was a vulgar and very personal attack against the judge.

"Nobody carrying out public duties should be subjected to that kind of insult."

Court ban

He said the women had made references to his fellow judge's gender that he was not going to "dignify with repetition".

Bartram, of High Street, Downham Market, and Godden, of High Street, King's Lynn, also threatened to "find out if the judge had grandkids and where they went to school".

In another comment overheard by a police officer, Bartram said: "It's amazing what you can find out on the internet."

Judge Bate also banned the women from attending any court in Norfolk as a member of the public for five years.

Trouble erupted after Judge Moore sentenced Bartram's son Bryn Ballantyne, 19, of High Street, Downham Market over driving offences, on 31 July.

'Fragile mental health'

The women were told to leave the courtroom before the disturbances continued outside.

John Morgans, mitigating, said Bartram, who cried while she was in the dock, had sent a letter of apology to Judge Moore.

Godden was described by her counsel Lindsay Cox as having "fragile mental health".

"Sometimes her brain doesn't engage a filter as far as her mouth is concerned," he added.

Morgan, of Fairfield Road, Stoke Ferry, was the "quiet person" of the group and had apologised, said Danielle O'Donovan, mitigating.