A pervert who ripped out a telephone and threw it across the courtroom after launching a tirade of abuse towards a judge and jury after he was found guilty of his ‘pathetic’ voyeurism has been locked up.

Daniel Larsen reacted furiously when the verdict was delivered and made several threats to people in the courtroom, leaving many of them in tears.

Judge Jonathan Carroll branded the 34-year-old’s behaviour as an afront to the judicial process and said the defendant’s apology left a lot to be desired.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Larsen was found guilty of hiding a mobile phone to record a teenage girl before destroying the handset after his sickening behaviour was exposed.

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Police were unable to ascertain whether the pervert had definitely filmed the young girl in a state of undress but the judge told him that the jury believed his efforts to destroy evidence meant it was more than likely that he had captured some footage.

Larsen was sentenced to a total of 16-months after the judge heard of how the offending had impacted on the young girl’s life in such a devastating way.

“She noticed that you were behaving oddly and strangely. It put her on notice that something wasn’t right but she didn’t know what it was,” the judge said.

“You knew she would get undressed and you knew you would record it for your own sexual gratification. From a sexual point of view, it is almost pathetic but the harm that it has done to her is profound and substantial.”

The Northern Echo: Daniel LarsenDaniel Larsen (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Turning to the contempt of court charge, the judge said: “Your outburst was loud, aggressive, threatening and intimidating. You made not less than four direct threats to the jury.

“As you were not in a secure dock, I was no able to have the jury immediately removed because to do so would have brought them closer to you. You were showing signs of intention to climb out of the dock towards the jury.

“I was deeply concerned that your lack of control would lead to a direct attack on the jury.”

He added: “You made three direct threats to me but I am robust enough to cope with that – it didn’t frighten or intimidate me – but it is not about that. It is about the authority of the court to carry out its business.

“A threat to me is a threat to that criminal process and that cannot be tolerated.”

Larsen, of Wembley Walk, Stockton but formerly of Darlington, admitted a charge of contempt of court following his vitriolic outburst.

Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said his client continued to maintain his innocence following his conviction.

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He added: “I cannot make any representations about on his remorse as he does not accept the verdict of the jury.”

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, had told the court how Larsen had left the victim traumatised and had a panic attack when she inadvertently bumped into him during a day out.

He told the court the defendant had a long history of offending but nothing on his extensive record of a sexual nature.

Larsen was made subject to ten-year sexual harm prevention order and issued with an indefinite restraining order to protect his victim.