A BALLINGRY teenager found himself in the cells after repeatedly taking his mask off in court.

James Canning complained he found it difficult to breathe with the face covering on but a sheriff commented: “The problem’s not his breathing, it’s his thinking.”

Canning, 18, of Kirkland Gardens, Ballingry, was appearing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for a series of cases.

He got himself into more trouble when sitting in the public benches waiting on his cases to call.

As well as taking off his mask he angered the sheriff by repeatedly gesturing to others when they had been sentenced.

Sheriff Alastair Brown had to break off from imposing a jail sentence on another offender to order Canning to be taken to the cells.

He spent the lunch break in custody and then was brought into the dock for his cases. He denied breaching the court orders and also has other matters pending.

Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison said his client suffers from asthma.

“He absolutely apologises. He pulled his mask down and forgot to put it back up,” he added.

However, Sheriff Brown pointed out it was his general behaviour in court that had landed him in the cells. “The problem is not his breathing it’s his thinking,” he added.

The sheriff took no further action over the matter. The other cases were adjourned until August 4 and Canning was remanded in custody until then.