Magistrate rebuked for swearing in court

Jonathan Dannatt JP of the Staffordshire Bench accepted he said, ‘this is shit’, and spoke in a manner that may have appeared abrupt when he asked the witness to leave. He did not believe he said, as another person present at the time recalled, ‘I am sick of seeing you, get out’.

Dannatt, who has an unblemished record of 17 years as a magistrate, apologised and accepted that his comments were unacceptable and that he failed the witness according to the judicial oath.