Harvey Weinstein has been fiercely reprimanded by the judge in his rape trial, with Judge James Burke telling him off for using his mobile phone in court.

Judge Burke, unlike some judges, does not forbid phones from the courtroom. However, they must be switched off and hidden from sight.

He said he already warned Weinstein against having his phone present in court.

"What did I say would happen if he so much had a cell phone in his hand?" he asked Arthur Aidala, Weinstein's lawyer. "What did I tell you would happen? What would be the end result?"

The lawyer replied that the result would be a change in Weinstein's bail conditions. Weinstein remains free after posting a $5 million bail in December - a sum which was increased after Weinstein's electronic ankle tag was found to be faltering.

“Mr Weinstein, I could not implore you more to not answer the following question," the judge continued.

"Is this really the way that you want to land up in jail for the rest of your life? By using your cellphone?”

Weinstein, 67, is currently on trial in New York City on five counts of rape and sexual assault. If convicted, he could face the rest of his life in jail.

The charges stem from accusations made by two women.