"Mister Bear, can you explain for us the details of what happened on the morning of Saturday the eighteenth of July last year?"
"As was our custom, that's my wife and son and I, we went for a walk in the forest. We usually walk for about an hour, keeping a lookout for wild bees so that we can get honey for our porridge. The wife cooks it before we leave and leaves the pot simmering on the stove so that it is ready for us to eat when we return."
"And when you returned, what did you find?"
"Someone had entered our house in our absence and had taken a bowl of porridge from the pot and eaten it."
"Then what did you do?"
"Fearing that the person could have still been in the house I told my wife and son to wait outside while I searched through the house to see if the thief was waiting to do us harm."
"What did you find?"
"The defendant was found asleep in my son's bed. I woke her and asked her what she was doing in his bed and if she had eaten the porridge. She told me that she had been bushwalking and gotten lost. She said that she had spent the night in the open and she was cold and hungry and tired. She said that she had come upon our house and knocked on the front door. Getting no answer she tried the door handle and, finding it unlocked had entered where she found the porridge in the pot on the stove."
"And she ate some?"
"Yes she did. Then being overcome with coldness and tiredness, she found a bed to rest in. That was where she was when we came home and I woke her."
"Do you believe that story?"
"No I don't. There have been several burglaries in the forest lately and the police have told us to keep an eye open for strangers acting strangely and to advise them if we see anyone that fitted that description. That is what I did and the police came and arrested her."
"You did the right thing Mister Bear." The Prosecutor turned to the defence counsel, that's me by the way. "Your witness."
I approached the witness. "What time did you call the police?"
"It must have been around eight o'clock."
"In the morning?"
"Yes."
"Very good, now Mister Bear, how tall are you?"
"I think about six feet, maybe a little more." His voice was very deep and just a little slow.
"And how much do you weigh?"
"Three hundred pounds, give or take."
"How big would you say my client is?"
"Objection!" The prosecutor was on his feet.
"On what grounds?" The judge looked at him.
"Relevance."
"Counsel?" He looked at me.
"What I'm trying to establish is the reason for Mister Bear calling the police. Nothing was stolen, admittedly because of her hunger she ate a bowl of porridge, but she stole nothing. Here she was confronted by Mister Bear who is considerably larger than she is and she was quite plainly scared. She had done nothing to warrant her treatment, firstly by Mister Bear and his family and then by Constable Plod. This whole matter could have been resolved without resorting to this farcical trial and wasting your time, as well as the resources of the criminal court system that is overstretched with much more pressing matters."
"Point taken, I'll over-rule the objection. But we are here now and, unless the prosecution changes its mind." He looked at the prosecutor and the returned look said that there was no way that they would even consider withdrawing the charges, "it is beholden on us to continue a process that's already begun. Continue."
"Very well, now where was I, ah yes, Mister Bear, how big would you say my client was, Five one, maybe two would you say?"
"About that."
"And what would she weigh, ninety pounds?"
"Probably."
"So she's a good foot shorter and over two hundred pounds lighter and you saw the need to call the police, I bet you were scared half to death by my client. Were you?"
"No."
"And she committed the heinous crime of eating some of your porridge because she was cold, having spent the night in the forest, lost, alone and scared out of her wits. Where was your compassion, couldn't you have spared her a little of your meal? No further questions of this witness."
The next witness was Mrs Bear who merely reiterated what her husband had said. She was followed by young Bear Junior who, at eighteen years of age was as big as his father. He looked uncomfortable while giving his evidence, as if something wasn't quite right about this whole episode.
The final witness for the prosecution was Constable Plod, the long arm of the law in this district. "What did you find when you arrived at the Bear house Constable?"
"I found the defendant sitting on the sofa and she looked as if she'd been crying. I asked Mister Bear why she was crying and he told me that she was afraid of going to jail for stealing."
"And then what happened?"
"While I was distracted she leapt to her feet and ran from the house."
"Did you give chase?"
"I did, but you have to remember she is a young and fit person, I lost her in the woods."
"What did you do then?"
"I put out an APB for her and she was seen entering a Back-packer hostel on the main street. I attended the hostel and took her into custody."
"You charged her with theft and resisting arrest, is this correct?"
"Yes it is."
"Thank you Constable, your witness."
"Constable, what were you doing when the defendant ran off."
"What do you mean?"
"I think the question is plain enough, what were you doing when she ran off?"
"I was having a cup of tea."
"Was everyone having a cup of tea or was it just you and the Bears?"