A man who took a picture of defendants in the dock during a trial has been jailed.

Kyle Reece Wright, 23, was jailed for six months for contempt of court.

He admitted taking the photo on Snapchat of defendants accused of being involved in organised crime, while the prosecution was outlining its case to the jury.

His actions caused the trial to be halted and relisted for later in the year.

It’s not known what Wright did with the photograph.

Jailing him for six months, Deemster Graeme Cook accepted his apology but said there was ‘something potentially sinister’ behind his intentions. He told him: ‘The defendants who are all pleading not guilty, and may be found not guilty, clearly are having more time in custody because of your actions. It is as simple as that.

‘We do not know, and that is a matter for police to investigate, what you actually did with the photograph, to whom it went and how many times it was thereafter distributed.

‘Nor do we know if there were further photographs taken but your contempt in the face of the court is the taking of a photograph. That is what you have admitted to.

‘You have purged your contempt by apologising. Ignorance or naivety?

‘Well, Mr Wright you have been in this court building on numerous occasions.

‘You must have seen the various notices and in particular on this day a large white-backed document with black writing which clearly says you should not do what you indeed did.

‘Taking into account the aggravating and mitigating features, my starting point would be nine months’ imprisonment. I reduce it by one third to take into account your admissions and that is therefore a sentence of six month’s imprisonment.’