TikTok: Bridgend man stalked judge and posted video online
- Published
Christopher Searle followed a judge as he travelled from one court to another before confronting him
A defendant followed a judge and filmed himself berating him before posting it on social media, a court has heard.
Christopher Searle, 40, of Tondu Road, Bridgend, was found guilty of stalking the judge and harassing a barrister.
Westminster Magistrates' Court heard Searle followed Judge Jeremy Jenkins as he travelled from one court to another before confronting him and calling him a corrupt and "evil man".
He also abused barrister Andrew Jones as he went to meet family for dinner.
He later posted footage of both incidents on TikTok, claiming he was angry about the court proceedings.
It came after Searle had appeared before Judge Jenkins on a charge of conspiracy to supply class A drugs on 8 September last year.
'Voice from behind'
Mr Jones, prosecuting, had offered no evidence.
The following day, Judge Jenkins had driven his black Mercedes car from Newport Crown Court to Cardiff Crown Court before walking into the city centre to buy his wife a birthday present.
Upon returning to his car, he said he "heard a voice from behind".
"I saw a man abusing me and filming me," he told the court, giving evidence via video link.
"He was pointing at me whilst filming and calling me names... saying I was an evil man, that I had in fact no business sitting, that I was corrupt and that I would ruin his life."
Judge Jenkins was abused as he returned to his car outside Cardiff Crown Court
Another circuit judge who was in the car park at the time escorted Judge Jenkins into the court building.
Searle was "very threatening, [he] was abusive and it caused me great concern", he told the court.
"It was only by chance that I stopped off at Cardiff Crown Court - if I had travelled from Newport Crown Court to my home then obviously from that he would've followed me there.
"I was very concerned that would have put my family, my wife, my grandchildren at some sort of jeopardy."
The court heard Searle also followed Mr Jones to a conference he was attending at Park Place Chambers in Cardiff, waited for two-and-a-half hours for him to leave and followed him again as he went to meet his family for dinner.
"He was very angry... berating me in regard to my conduct in the case against him," Mr Jones told the court.
'No intention to cause fear'
He was shouting at me, calling me a 'disgusting vile individual' and that I should get my tongue out of Judge Jenkins' backside.
"I was distressed... he had clearly been waiting for me," he said. "It was a targeted approach… I don't know how he knew I was in the building."
One of Mr Jones' colleagues arrived in the car park and dialled 999, the court heard.
Searle, who represented himself, told the court there was no evidence that he had stalked Judge Jenkins, saying he only wanted to express concerns about his treatment by the court.
"I had no intention to cause fear, alarm or distress to Mr Jones or Mr Jenkins," he told the court.
Presiding judge Tanweer Ikram told Searle: "I have to think about a prison sentence to send the message I need to send. I think it is that serious."
Searle will be sentenced on 25 August.
- Published4 July 2023
- Published18 July 2023
