Bailey Roy Garton snapped a photo in court and spends night in Toowoomba watch house

The 19-year-old snapped a photo while in the courtroom and refused to let police access his phone, but it was what he said next that landed him a night in Toowoomba watch house.

A teenager who snapped a photograph in a courtroom then refused to give police the PIN to his mobile phone has spent the night in the Toowoomba watch house.

Bailey Roy Garton had turned up at Gatton Magistrates Court in support of a friend who was appearing in court on Tuesday, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told on Wednesday.

Seen appearing to be filming in the courtroom, the 19-year-old caused a disturbance in the lobby when told to leave and started swearing at police and court staff, police prosecutor Rohan Brewster-Webb told the court.

Asked for his PIN so police could check his phone, Garton refused and became belligerent with police, telling officers “you f---ing love this don’t you?”

Arrested for causing a public nuisance, the teenager told officers “you can charge me with one more, I’ve got bud in my bag”, Mr Brewster-Webb said.

Gatton Magistrates Court.

A police search of his bag found a container with 15g of cannabis, the court was told.

Garton spent the night in custody and appeared by video link from the watch house to plead guilty to committing a public nuisance, possessing dangerous drugs, contravening an order about information necessary to access information stored electronically, and prohibition on taking photographs in a courtroom.

Duty lawyer Phil Stainton told the court his client had been drinking alcohol that morning and his client’s mother, who was in court supporting her son, confirmed alcohol had been an issue for him over the past 12 months.

The teenager was at court supporting a friend and hadn’t realised it was illegal to take photos in court, Mr Stainton said.

Garton lived in Gatton with his parents and had work lined up as a cleaner at a meatworks, Mr Stainton said.

Magistrate Clare Kelly told Garton he had exposed himself to a jail term by taking a photograph inside a courtroom but ordered the conviction not be recorded and placed him on 12 months probation but ordered he forfeit his mobile phone to police.

Originally published as Bailey Roy Garton snapped a photo in court and spends night in Toowoomba watch house