Body of Evidence

An inept lawyer can be undone by a sloppy defense or an unconvincing final summation. Every syllable which leaves a lawyer's mouth has to be carefully considered and its consequences thought thoroughly through.

The defending counsel of a man appearing in court in Duisburg is regretting a disturbing slip made during a consultation with their client in recess on Thursday. Never again will they utter the phrase "let us review the evidence" before considering the crime their man is accused of. A less appropriate phrase to be uttered in the company of a flasher would be hard to imagine.

Flasher reveals his evidence during recess

What followed was a scene that disturbed all who observed it. "The court withdrew for deliberations and during the adjournment the man removed his clothes again," said a spokesman for the court in the western German city.

The 60-year-old, who was in court to appeal against his conviction for running onto the pitch naked during a girl's soccer match and striking a range of "body builder poses," apparently needed very little encouragement to strip off in the court, the spokesperson added. "It appears he sees it as art, and views himself as a living work of art."

State prosecutors saw very little aesthetic value in the man's latest stunt and filed fresh charges of indecent behavior against the exhibitionist for exposing himself in the halls of justice.