A SHORTS-wearing defendant received a judge’s dressing down after ruling the standard of his court room outfit was below the belt.

As Carlisle basked in glorious September sunshine, a 34-year-old man, from Brampton, appeared at the city’s magistrates’ court. His case was listed for deputy district judge Peter Hayes to hear an application for the revocation of a previously imposed order.

The man had initially appeared at the court in August 2022, and been sentenced for sending threatening messages to his ex and her partner.

For the drink-fuelled offending, he was made subject to a community order for two years. This comprised a 120-alcohol ban, rehabilitation work with the probation service and his attendance on a building better relationships course.

The man later twice breached the order. He was first ordered to complete unpaid work and then told to serve an additional 45-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement.

He was brought back in court this week for reassessment of the community order. After hearing of positive steps made by the man, deputy district judge Hayes ruled that no further work needed to be completed and he brought proceedings to a halt.

But before making that ruling, the judge took the man to task for his ill-advised attire at the hearing.

“My first question is: why have you come to court wearing shorts?” asked the judge.

“I wasn’t told any different,” the man replied.

He was told by the judge: “It is not acceptable. Hopefully you are not going to come back in future. I know many people will refuse to deal with you if you were wearing shorts.”

“I am sorry,” replied the man, who told how the earlier enforced booze ban had help him to turn his life around.

“The alcohol tag was the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m completely off alcohol,” he explained.

“I’ve established a successful business. I’d like to say I’ve turned my life around.”