Camera Glasses Banned from Court

His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has confirmed that camera glasses are banned from its sites across England and Wales.

The glasses, which are often marketed as Meta or AI glasses, have a lens and microphone concealed within the frames that allows them to be used for covert video and audio recording.

Just last week pub chain Wetherspoon announced that it was also taking similar steps to ban "creepy spy glasses" from its premises, after escalating concerns they could be used for the covert surveillance of staff and customers.

Recent years have heralded a new genre of social media channels featuring covert camera glasses footage. Many of these channels have been slammed as exploitative, with those filmed oblivious to the fact and often vulnerable.

It is an offence to record inside court buildings without official permission.

An HMCTS source told the Guardian: "Users who bring Meta glasses into courts or tribunals will have them confiscated on entry and they will be returned when the owner leaves the building."

Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Met Professional Standards Detective Stalked Ex-Girlfriend

A Metropolitan Police officer working in the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) has been convicted of stalking his ex-girlfriend.

Detective Constable Timothy Fory, 34, denied an offence of stalking but was convicted following a trial at City of London Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 9th July 2026.

He was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday, 10th August 2026.

Stalking is an offence under section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. It has a maximum sentence of 51 weeks' custody on summary conviction.

Fory got the push by his former partner, also a police officer, who believed he wasn't respecting her boundaries.

Despite being told the relationship was over, Fory persisted in sending her WhatsApp messages. In response to being blocked, he continued his unwanted correspondence using other social media channels.

Once he'd been blocked there, Fory set about tracking down an ex-partner of the woman and sent him messages instead.

In her victim personal statement, the complainant told the court that Fory's actions had left her "anxious, nervous and on edge".

She outlined how she had been struggling to sleep and was left constantly looking over her shoulder. The experience had also impacted on her performance at work.

District Judge Caroline Jackson was of the view that Fory's crime was serious enough to merit a community order.

Addressing the defendant, she said: "You of all people ought to be fully aware and appreciate the impact your actions have on people".

DJ Jackson added that she was concerned that Fory still didn't appreciate the impact of his behaviour.

Fory was handed a 12-month community order with the requirements that he completes 150 hours' unpaid work and up to 15 days' rehabilitation activity.

He was also ordered to pay £775 towards prosecution costs and £114 surcharge.

Detective Chief Superintendent Iain Keating of the Metropolitan Police's DPS said: "DC Fory's behaviour is a discredit to the thousands of Met officers who are committed to tackling offences against women and girls in London.

"His actions are even more concerning given he is attached to the Met’s directorate of professional standards, a unit directly responsible for investigating misconduct and upholding high standards across the Met.

"This court result, off the back of a swift investigation by officers, is a welcome one that I hope reassures women and girls, including the victim in this case, that the kind of conduct shown by DC Fory will not be tolerated."

Solicitor Behaving Badly: Motoring Lawyer Impersonated Police Officer

A high profile motoring lawyer has been convicted of impersonating a police officer, after his failed attempt to obtain CCTV footage from a well known chicken restaurant.

Conor Johnstone, 34, of Broad Lane, Altrincham, denied an offence of impersonating a police officer, but was convicted following a trial at Leeds Magistrates' Court last month.

He was sentenced by the same court on Monday, 3rd August 2026.

Impersonating a police officer is an offence under section 90(1) of the Police Act 1996. It has a maximum sentence of 6 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction.

The Crown's case, on which Johnstone has been convicted, is that on 22nd July 2025 he posed as a fictional Cheshire Police officer, PC Matt Gregory, to request CCTV footage from the Nando's restaurant at Stockton Heath, Warrington.

Johnstone's ex-partner, who was pregnant with the couple's third child at the time, had been dining at the restaurant a few days earlier.

Adopting the officer's name, Johnstone telephoned the restaurant and requested footage he believed to capture his ex-partner's visit.

The 34-year-old self-proclaimed "legal missile" sent a follow-up email to the restaurant confirming his earlier telephone request.

The email, from "matt.gregory@cheshirepolice.uk", bore the Cheshire Constabulary crest and included contact details for the officer.

Johnstone was asked to complete a data protection form by the restaurant, which he did using the fictional credentials.

An email from the restaurant to the officer was returned as undeliverable, which resulted in restaurant staff trying to contact the officer via official Cheshire Constabulary channels. It was then they discovered that there was no such officer as PC Matt Gregory.

Investigations by Cheshire Constabulary confirmed that the "cheshirepolice.uk" domain had been purchased using a debit card in Johnstone's name. The registrar, Heart Internet, also confirmed that the domain had been acquired by a customer giving Johnstone's name and contact details.

Johnstone denied the allegation, pointing the finger of blame at his ex-partner. He claimed that the debit card was a company card that others had access to.

Magistrates rejected Johnstone's account and convicted him of the offence.

He was handed a 12-month community order, with the requirement that he undertakes 260 hours' unpaid work.

Johnstone was also ordered to pay £114 surcharge and £650 towards prosecution costs.

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Constable Darroch said: "You don't have to be a solicitor to know impersonating a police officer is a very serious offence, so Conor Johnstone will have been well aware his actions were illegal.

"Under the guise of this persona and armed with a false email which would have looked legitimate to the uninitiated, Johnstone took advantage of two employees who were simply trying to assist with what they thought was an official police investigation.

"Johnstone clearly counted his own chickens before they hatched, as his decision to play pretend police officer has ultimately resulted him in causing permanent damage to his own reputation.

"If you are contacted or approached by anyone you believe is pretending to be a police officer, I would strongly urge you to contact Cheshire Police."

It would appear that the legal missile has backfired on this occasion.

Lincolnshire Man Tasered Friend in Pub

A Lincolnshire man was caught carrying a taser after using the device on a friend in a pub.

Rio Hind, 21, of Grand Sluice Lane, Boston, admitted possession of a weapon for the discharge of an electrical incapacitant when he appeared recently at Boston Magistrates' Court.

Hind also admitted possession of cannabis.

Possession of a weapon for the discharge of an electrical incapacitant is an offence under section 5(1)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968. It has a maximum sentence of 52 weeks' custody on summary conviction; 10 years' custody on conviction on indictment.

Magistrates heard that Hind attended the Stump & Candle public house in Boston on Friday, 15th August 2025.

Lottie Tyler, prosecuting, described how Hind came to the attention of a member of security staff.

"He saw the defendant and a group of males all stood together and heard the clicking sound a couple of times, it sounded like a taser," she said.

"He saw one of the males flinching and believed he had been tasered."

Police attended the pub and Hind was arrested, a search of his person yielding both the taser and cannabis.

Beris Brickles, mitigating, showed Magistrates an image of the pencil-sized device.

"It is illegal to have these, but sadly it's not illegal to sell them on the internet," he said.

"Mr Hind bought this out of curiosity. He was with friends and they were curious as to what it did.

"It is much smaller in size than a police taser, but illegal nonetheless."

Mr Brickles indicated that his client had mental health difficulties.

Magistrates were of the opinion that the offence was one of low culpability and limited harm.

Hind was fined £200 and ordered to pay £80 surcharge and £85 towards prosecution costs.

The court also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the taser and cannabis.