Man breached court orders after children taken away

Lawyers for Gloucestershire County Council argued Newman was in contempt of court

A man whose children were taken from his care has been given a suspended nine-month jail term for posting material online which identified them.

At the High Court on Monday, Mrs Justice Theis ruled Matthew John Newman had breached another judge's orders by publishing court documentation online.

The papers related to private family court litigation about the children.

Gloucestershire County Council, which has responsibilities for the children, argued he was in contempt of court.

Mrs Justice Theis analysed the case at a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court.

She agreed with the argument put forward by the council and handed Mr Newman a prison term suspended until April 2020. She said breaches of the orders had been flagrant.

The judge said Mr Newman was aware of the hearing but had chosen not to attend.

Lawyers told her the offending material had now been removed from the internet.

Mrs Justice Theis said the children should not be named in media reports of the case.

She was told that family court hearings where decisions about the children were made had been staged in Bristol.