Japan: Screaming, bum-flashing lecturer jailed

Japan: Screaming, bum-flashing lecturer jailed

By Christine Flatley
AAP


Jail ... law lecturer Megumi Ogawa made a court employee so stressed he started to go bald.

A JAPANESE law lecturer who bared her bottom to a judge and had to be removed from her own trial for incessant screaming has been jailed for contempt.

Brisbane District Court Judge Stuart Durward sentenced Megumi Ogawa, 41, to four months' jail for her "disgusting behaviour" during her trial.

Judge Durward charged Ogawa with contempt just moments after a jury found her guilty of two counts of each of using a carriage service to harass and using a carriage service to threaten to kill Australian Federal Court officials in 2006.

During the trial, the court was told Ogawa, who is a lecturer at Lismore's Southern Cross University, sent 83 emails and made 176 phone calls to Federal Court staff. During some of the contact, she made threats to kill registry staff.

One staff member said in a victim impact statement that he was so affected by stress because of her actions that he had started going bald.

Ogawa was sentenced to six months' jail for those four offences.

She refused legal representation at the start of her trial, electing instead to represent herself. However, she was repeatedly kicked out of court for screaming, making disparaging comments about the justice system and wrestling with corrective services officers.

She also flashed her bottom on one occasion when being dragged into court.

Barrister Paul Smith took on the case two days ago, and today made an application that Ogawa not be present when Judge Durward handed down his sentence.

Judge Durward read out his full sentencing remarks in Ogawa's absence before the screaming lecturer was brought into the court room so she could be told her fate.

Ogawa had to be carried into the dock by three corrective services officers who had to hold her down as she was sentenced.

She will be released on a good behaviour bond in September.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25250802-421,00.html