Try prison uniform, judge tells fancy-dress Fontana

When Sixties pop star Wayne Fontana arrived at court yesterday dressed as the Old Bailey's Lady of Justice, he clearly intended to make an impression on the powers-that-be.

And he succeeded.

Judge Andrew Hamilton packed him off to jail, saying: "He has come dressed as a fool and he wants to act like a fool. I hope they give him a prison uniform at Nottingham Prison to keep him warm."

Scroll down for more

Fontana, 61, appeared under his real name of Glyn Ellis at Derby Crown Court accused of setting light to a debt collector's car while the man was inside.

In protest at his prosecution, he wore a crown and home-made cape for yesterday's hearing but had to hand in his cardboard sword and scales - actually a kitchen colander - to security guards.

He was allowed to keep his dark glasses, however, claiming "justice is blind", and pretended to puff on a plastic cigarette during the hearing.

It was on February 1 this year that two bailiffs called at Fontana's home in Glossop, Derbyshire, to collect £527.12 of a £1,221.46 debt which spiralled from a disputed parking fine.

Scroll down for more

As they returned to their cars, the court heard, Fontana emerged with a bottle of petrol and poured it over one of the vehicles.

Bailiff Paul Stott told police he opened his car door and asked the defendant: "What are you doing?"

Fontana allegedly told him: "I am going to burn you." He then set the petrol alight, engulfing the bonnet of the Citroen in flames.

Fontana denied a charge of arson with intent to endanger life - which carries a maximum 14-year jail term - claiming the bailiff left the vehicle before it caught fire.

But he admitted a charge of arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered after accepting he ignited the fuel.

Judge Hamilton adjourned the case until July after the prosecution refused to accept the plea to the lesser charge - and remanded Fontana in custody.

He told defence barrister Hugh McKee: "What your client did was a most serious offence. He did not know the car would not blow up immediately and kill this man.

Scroll down for more

"It seems to me it does not make the slightest bit of difference if he got out in one second, two seconds or three seconds." Judge Hamilton added:

"He has shown a complete disregard of court by his attitude in turning up. It's all part of his campaign.

"He regards the whole procedure as a pantomime."

Fontana, he added, would be serving time behind bars. "The only question is how long you are going to custody for."

Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders shot to fame in 1964 with Game of Love, which topped the charts in the U.S. and was a number two hit in the UK.

Following a tour of the States and other, unsuccessful singles, the singer abruptly left the group in the middle of a concert in 1965.

Shortly afterwards the more concisely named Mindbenders released Groovy Kind of Love, which went to number two on both sides of the Atlantic, and was covered by Phil Collins in the 1980s.

Fontana has been involved in a number of long-running legal battles in recent years, including a successful fight in 2005 to prove he was illegally declared bankrupt.

In February he was reported to have launched a foul-mouthed rant during a gig at a fan who asked him to stop moaning about his arrest and start singing.

"Have you got a ****ing appointment or something?" he is said to have shouted.

On his official website blog, he warned of his plans to dress as the Lady of Justice at court.

"I'm sick of living under this New World Order," he added.

"Let's claim our country back. We could make it a fancy-dress protest against our fascist government's inhumanity to its fellow man, woman and families."