Man begs for fine instead of curfew - to escape mother

Wayne Bamford, a 28-year-old builder, was given a curfew by Blackpool Crown Court for possession of cannabis, and begged officials to fine him instead. He told the court he couldn't stand to be forced to stay in at night listening to his mother's incessant gossiping.

The Mirror reported that he told magistrates: "You must be joking. I can't stay in with my mother. You don't know what it is like living with her. She just prattles on all the time, gossiping. Why can't I just have a fine, please?"

His plea fell on deaf ears, however. The Blackpool Gazette reported that Bamford lost his temper and started calling the clerk names, for which he was sent to the cells until he apologised. He was eventually given a 28 day curfew - monitored by electronic tag.

His mother told the Mirror: "His greatest punishment will be me jabbering away at him all night – unless he wants to live in the attic. He has not had a great week."

Unusual requests
This is far from the most unusual courtroom request. There have been some oddities over the years, including the Kansas murder suspect who requested in April that a large tattoo on his neck reading MURDER be covered up for his trial.

Then there was the judge who in September last year was asked to officiate at a wedding in the courtroom immediately after a murder trial. The defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 53 years in jail. However, the judge went ahead with the wedding, and even baked the couple a cake.

In 2007 a Dutch journalist asked an Amsterdam court to imprison him for eating chocolate - claiming he was benefiting from child slavery on the Ivory Coast. He wanted to be jailed to draw attention to working conditions on cocoa farms. He was refused.

But perhaps the title of weirdest courtroom request has to go to the 60-year-old man in Bury St Edmunds who tried to invoke the right to trial by combat rather than pay a £25 fine for a minor motoring offence. He requested a champion be nominated by the DVLA for a fight with samurai swords, Ghurka knives or heavy hammers in a fight to the death. He must have been disappointed when the magistrates rejected his request and instead fined him £200 with £100 costs.

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