A COUNTY Court judge remained defiant last night after being found guilty of causing a drunken fracas in a kebab shop.

David Messenger, said he planned to appeal against his conviction for being drunk and disorderly.

He was also convicted of obstructing two police officers and criminal damage of a police cell.

He was found guilty by magistrates following a three-day trial and fined a total of £800, ordered to pay £188 in compensation for damaging the bell button in his cell and pay more than £6,000 in court costs.

Messenger, 49, of Valley Bridge Parade, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, denied all the charges.

The judge was arrested at a takeaway in Scarborough, on May 2 and spent the night banging on his cell door, refusing to co-operate with officers and eventually damaging a cell bell button.

Messenger was arrested at the Best Kebab shop, in St Thomas's Street, after intervening in an incident that police were trying to sort out in the kitchen.

The court was told how Messenger called police officers "ar******s" and said their behaviour would "cost them £5,000" as they marched him out of the kebab shop.

Asked if he wanted to contact anyone after his arrest he asked to speak to the Chief Constable.

As the officers were taking him from the building and attempting to put him into a police van he shouted to passers-by: "Tell them I'm a solicitor and a county court judge".

He was eventually taken to the police station where his lack of co-operation continued.

The court was told the "booking in" procedure took 40 minutes as the defendant refused to give his personal details.

Once Messenger was locked in a cell, he spent the night banging on the door to such an extent that other prisoners had to be moved so they could get some peace.

Later, an officer found a button in the cell, which operated the bell, was damaged, the court heard.

Messenger told magistrates that he had described two police officers as "ar******s" because he was shocked and frightened about being frogmarched out of a kebab shop. He said he had been "unlawfully arrested".

He said he could not believe what was happening to him after he tried to help a client who was involved in an incident at the kebab shop.

However, the magistrates said the evidence of the two police officers had been compelling and they had good reason to be concerned there would be a breach of the peace.

Dr Jones said: "Their actions were entirely justified and perfectly reasonable.

"The way in which Mr Messenger responded was to behave in a totally inappropriate way."

The court was told Messenger's convictions would mean the end of his "judicial aspirations".

Outside court, he continued to maintain his innocence and said he would carry on working as a solicitor.

He is not sitting as a judge at present.

He said: "It's been a very difficult five months. I maintained my innocence throughout and I still do."

A Department for Constitutional Affairs spokesman said: "This judge has not been sitting and a report on the issue will be prepared for the Lord Chancellor, who will make a decision about his sitting in future."