A court spectator at the trial of Casey Anthony has been jailed for six days after sticking his middle finger up at the prosecutor.

Judge Belvin Perry pulled Matthew Bartlett up in front of the court and gave him a humiliating dressing down before sentencing him for contempt.

Bartlett, a 28-year-old TGI Fridays waiter from Orlando, was also fined $400 for the obscene gesture, which the judge said risked prejudicing the trial.

Image
© unknownObscene: Matthew Bartlett, left, made this obscene gesture in the direction of prosecuting attorney Jeff Ashton

Image
© Fox NewsContempt: Furious Judge Belvin Perry, left, sentenced Bartlett, right, to six days in the Orange County Jail and ordered him to pay a $400 fine
When asked to explain why he made the gesture, the young man answered: 'This is just some stupid thing that I did and I do apologise.'

Bartlett was spotted sticking his middle finger up at prosecuting attorney Jeff Ashton towards the end of proceedings on Thursday.

A furious Judge Perry called the young man to the front of the court and ordered a deputy to play back images of the gesture, captured on courtroom cameras.

'Can you tell me any reason why you should not be held in contempt of court?' Judge Perry asked.

Bartlett replied: 'I'm truly sorry for doing this. This was something stupid, and I'm not sure why I even did it.'

Image
© Fox NewsProhibited: Judge Bartlett holds up a court sign which expressly describes the kind of conduct unacceptable in the court room
Before sending him to jail, Judge Perry explained to Bartlett that his action could have jeopardized the whole trial if had been witnessed by the jury.

Bartlett will serve his sentence at the Orange County Jail. He had been attending court with his fiancee and two TGI Fridays co-workers.

Mr Bartlett's fiancee told a WOFL News reporter that he had felt that Miss Anthony was not getting a 'fair shake'.

Image
On trial: Casey Anthony, left, is accused of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee. She denies the charges
Miss Anthony is on trial for the alleged murder over her nearly three-year-old daughter, Caylee, in 2008.

Prosecutors allege Miss Anthony subdued her daughter with chloroform, suffocated her with duct tape then dumped her body in a swamp.

She has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and four counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.

The trial continues.