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Judge's wig 'pulled off' in court assault | |
(35 minutes later) | |
A judge has been assaulted in court by a member of the public during a hearing, police said. | A judge has been assaulted in court by a member of the public during a hearing, police said. |
Suffolk police were called to Ipswich crown court at about 11.30am on Monday following the attack on Judge John Devaux by a man sitting in the public gallery in court two. | Suffolk police were called to Ipswich crown court at about 11.30am on Monday following the attack on Judge John Devaux by a man sitting in the public gallery in court two. |
The judge's robes were reportedly pulled and his wig came off during the incident. | |
Judge Devaux returned to court moments after the incident. Apparently unflustered, he told the court: "I think we're all unharmed." He then continued to hear cases. | |
The man was initially dealt with by court security guards and held in cells at the court. | |
Jaimie Budd, who was in the public gallery, told the BBC: "He got up and ran to the judge's bench. | |
"He ran up the steps and started battering the hell out of the judge. He pulled his robes, his wig came off. It was extremely horrific." | |
Police said a man was being held in custody. | |
A spokesman for Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service said: "There was an incident involving a member of the public and a member of the judiciary at Ipswich crown court. This is now a police matter." | |
The incident happened as Judge Devaux sentenced Philip Graham, 30, of Quendon Place, Haverhill, to 30 months in prison for causing death by dangerous driving. | |
Graham, who was convicted following a trial earlier this year, killed father-of-two Derek Foster, 37, when he hit his motorcycle on the B1054 in July last year. |