Panic alarm raised in court

Thursday 20 September 2018

A panic alarm howled through court yesterday morning when a defendant threatened to kill the Magistrate and thrashed out at ushers in the dock.

With raised fists and spouting a torrent of abuse, Antonio Romano Capuano, who was already charged with assault and abusive behaviour, threatened the Magistrate and squared up to police offers when he was told he would be held in custody, and couldn’t attend an important family meeting yesterday afternoon.

Antonio Romano Capuano was held in contempt after he threatened and shouted expletives at the Magistrate.

Mr Capuano became aggressive when he was told he wouldn’t have permission to attend a family meeting later on today as he had breached his bail conditions and would therefore be taken into custody. The Glaswegian appeared in the Magistrate’s Court charged with common assault, using threatening or abusive language at a primary school and causing malicious damage to door lock.

The court heard that Mr Capuano had last appeared in the Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning charged with another count of common assault, disorderly conduct and assaulting a Police Constable. He was granted bail subject to various conditions, including that he wasn’t allowed to have glue or aerosols in his possession, but when Police officers arrested him on suspicion of these further charges – a black carrier bag containing an aerosol was found in the area.

Advocate Hiren Mistry, defending, said: “My client is very clear that the aerosol was found in a bag which was not on his person. He wasn’t using it, it wasn’t on him.” 

Advocate Mistry had instructions that his client “feels as though he’s being ‘picked on’” as well as asking the Court to consider allowing Mr Capuano permission to attend an important family meeting which was taking place later on that day.

After Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu told Mr Capuano that bail had been refused and he would be taken into custody, the Glaswegian asked: “What about the meeting?”, before becoming aggressive and raising his fists.

Pictured: The panic alarm was blaring in the courtroom as Mr Capuano started to become aggressive and threatening the Magistrate presiding over his hearing.

Mr Capuano started squaring up to Police officers in the dock and threatened to start throwing punches, raising his fists and saying: “I’ll swing ‘em all about”. He then put his face up against the glass window of the dock and shouted at the Relief Magistrate: “F**k you, f****t”.

Relief Magistrate Le Cornu then ordered for Mr Capuano to be held in contempt of court as the panic alarm was raised and attempts were made to get him out of the dock and into custody. 

Mr Capuano continued to threaten the Relief Magistrate and calling him a “f*****g f****t”.

Despite his protests, Mr Capuano will be held in custody until his next court appearance on 1 October.