MAGISTRATES and solicitors were forced to stand during a case heard in possibly the world’s smallest court room.

The live video link facility at Hereford Magistrates Court broke on Thursday meaning that a case had to be heard in an adjacent consultation room estimated to be 4ft by 3ft in size.

Two magistrates were joined by a legal advisor along with the prosecuting and defending solicitor in the small room during the court sentencing.

The Hereford Times reporter was unable to squeeze into the consultation room and instead had to stand in the doorway to report on the case.

Defending solicitor Gareth Driscoll travelled from Cardiff for the ten minutes long sentencing hearing where his client Nicky Harris appeared via video link from prison on a small computer screen.

Harris, 35, pleaded guilty to fraud after purchasing two rings from Hereford Antique Centre via a cheque from an account with insufficient funds.

Adrian Jones, prosecuting said that Harris had purchased the two rings valued at £400 on October 27.

“On the back of the check was an address which was linked to him,” said Mr Jones. “Enquiries were made but unfortunately the rings weren’t recovered. The cheque was refused by the bank who found that his account was actually £400 overdrawn.”

Mr Driscoll said that Harris was currently serving a 27 months prison sentence for nine offences which all related to dishonesty matters.

“The reality of the position is this matter doesn’t only pre-date the sentence but other offences,” said Mr Driscoll

“Would this have added anything to the sentence of 27 months and the reality is no.”

Magistrates sentenced Harris to six weeks in custody to run concurrently with his current sentence.

No compensation to the ring’s owners was ordered because of lack of the defendant’s means to pay for it.

Chair of magistrates Lavinia Sole was heard saying following the sentencing: “We’ve just bust out of the smallest court room in the world.”

Mr Driscoll commenting on the size of the courtroom added: “It’s the first time in 25 years as a solicitor I’ve had to defend in a 4ft by 3ft room.

“The Guinness Book of Records would want to list it. I think an element of practicality in communication made it affective between the court and the defendant. In very limited circumstances progress was made with the sentence without delay.”