Desperate MEASURE

The recent gruesome body parts discovery has made headlines here, but in the United States, a man resorted to making up a story about killing a hitchhiker and burying the body in the woods in an effort to persuade his wife to leave him. Teddy Akin’s wife then called the Sheriff’s office to report that her husband had told her that he killed a hitchhiker when the two got into an argument over how far Akin would drive him, authorities said. When a search of the area with dogs yielded no results, Akin eventually told investigators that he was going through a divorce and had hoped the murder story would make his wife leave him. Akin has been charged with making a false report. He is also likely to be billed the costs of the seven-hour search!

Coffee BREAK-IN

It has been called one of the most senseless break-ins. A man in Ohio allegedly attempted a daring robbery of a coffee shop inside an office building in Toledo that also houses the FBI. According to Toledo Police, Andrew Johnson entered the store pretending to be an employee and removed $165 from the cash register, and when confronted by the store manager, attempted to escape by jumping over the counter. He was then tackled by an FBI agent and other customers who were waiting in line. Several other FBI agents rushed down from their offices to help subdue Johnson, who surrendered when he realised that he was outnumbered. He has since been charged with robbery and felony vandalism.

Sleeping on the Job

An Australian judge under investigation for nodding off during trials has retired on medical grounds, the State Attorney-General confirmed. Judge Ian Dodd, 57 – dubbed Judge Nodd by jurors – retired five months after a newspaper reported he had dozed off during at least nine cases in the New South Wales state District Court in Sydney. A rape victim had called for Dodd to be fired because she said he had snored as she testified during the trial of her assailant. Judge Dodd was dubbed Judge Nodd when he fell asleep every day of a seven-day trial in December 2003, The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported. Witnesses have reported that lawyers would cough or drop rulers to subtly wake the judge during hearings.

Three Wives and a Bigamy

Some people bring flowers and fruits, others bring balloons. But when a British man’s three wives showed up to visit him at the hospital, they brought an unexpected curtain call to his years as a double bigamist. The 59-year-old company director from central England eventually turned himself in to police saying he was married to three women at the same time, and confessed to bigamy, an illegal offence in Britain.