Longer sentence for man who threw radiator at judge

Judge Patrick Perusko was attacked by Hazeltine at Milton Keynes Family Court

A man jailed for three years for throwing a radiator at a judge before attacking him has been sentenced to a further five months in prison after admitting contempt of court.

Greg Hazeltine, 41, repeatedly punched Judge Patrick Perusko and called him a "little lying weasel" at Milton Keynes Family Court in November 2023.

At the High Court on Thursday, Hazeltine admitted being in contempt of court for nine incidents, including three he had previously been sentenced for.

On sentencing, Mr Justice Cobb said Hazeltine's actions were "insulting, intimidating, threatening and abusive".

In June, Hazeltine was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Judge Perusko, criminal damage to the radiator, and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards Recorder Dharmesh Patel.

He attended Thursday's hearing via a video link from HMP Highpoint in Suffolk.

On November 29, Hazeltine verbally abused and made "indirect threats" to Judge Perusko, and called him a him a "little lying weasel" and a "bully and a coward".

He picked up a small, free-standing radiator and a laptop and then threw the radiator at the judge.

He then vaulted the "judicial barrier", followed the judge and pushed him into a corner, where Judge Perusko hit his head on the metal base of a coat stand.

Hazeltine then pinned him down and punched him in the head.

'Horrific actions'

At a hearing on February 3, 2023, Hazeltine interrupted Recorder Dharmesh Patel and on July 13, 2023, Hazeltine "used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour" towards Judge Patel "with intent to cause him to believe immediate unlawful violence would be caused upon him".

Hazeltine's barrister, Jessica Lee, said: "He apologises for his horrific actions on those days and takes responsibility for them."

Hazeltine said: "I can't justify why I hit the judge and I wake up wishing every day that I had not done it because he does not deserve what I did to him."

Mr Justice Cobb said Hazeltine's behaviour was "blatant and unrestrained interference with the administration of justice".

He added: "It was undermining of the dignity and authority of the court."