ONE of the brothers who was jailed over the Lapland New Forest furore has avoided another prison sentence after being found guilty of contempt of court.

Henry Mears, 60, was jailed for 28 days, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £750 costs after being convicted of threatening barrister Gary Lucie ahead of the Lapland trial last November.

Henry Mears and his brother Victor were jailed – released on licence last month – after being found guilty of misleading customers over the 2008 debacle at Matchams.

The one-day contempt trial heard that Henry Mears told the prosecutor that “mechanisms were in place to hold those responsible” for bringing the trial.

Mr Lucie was so shocked by the threat that he told Lapland trial judge, Judge Mark Horton, who ordered that Mears should be prosecuted.

At Bristol Crown Court, Judge Carol Hagen ruled that Mears was in contempt when he threatened Mr Lucie.

“I am in no doubt that the words said were as Mr Lucie said to the court and neither am I in any doubt to the tone in which the words were said or to the defendant's demeanour as he said them,” she said.

She added: “It is difficult to see how that can be regarded as anything but a threat of retribution if the trial proceeded.”

Mears, of Coombe Road, Brighton, denied contempt of court and, giving evidence, blamed a bad back for leaning over Mr Lucie.

He denied using the phrase “mechanisms were in place” and added: “I said to Mr Lucie, ‘I think trading standards, when you look at all this, should be made responsible if anything happens to him (Victor Mears). He is very, very ill’.”

Mears said he had been nothing but polite to the barrister.

The contempt hearing also heard of another incident outside the courtroom.

Henry Mears showed Mr Lucie his bruised inner lip – which he claimed had been the result of being punched in the face over the Lapland case – put his arm around him and jokingly threatened to punch the barrister in the face.

The Mears brothers hit the headlines when they set up the winter theme park.

The eye-catching website offered a “snow-covered village near Bournemouth”.

Within days thousands of customers had complained to trading standards.

Mears’ conviction is the second contempt of court prosecution arising from the Lapland trial.

A juror was fined £250 after receiving a text message from her partner – who was sitting in the public gallery – containing the word “guilty”, while sitting on the trial.