Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Murder hearing stopped after judge noticed 'court staff having sex'

It is believed the two people thought they were being covered by frosted glass

Kashmira Gander
Tuesday 20 May 2014 23:25 BST
Comments
Palazzo di Giustizia
Palazzo di Giustizia (Google Maps )

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A judge suspended a murder trial in an Italian court, after she realised that two members of staff were having sex in an attached office.

It is believed that the two staff members in the Palazzo di Giustizia court in Genoa thought they were concealed by a pane of frosted glass, but Judge Anna Ivaldi was still able to see them.

Judge Ivaldi then interrupted prosecutor Sabrina Monteverde while she was summing up the case, so she could address the situation, Mail Online reported.

An investigation has now been launched into the incident, that happened during the trial of Yassin Mahmod, who is accused of murdering a homeless man in the Italian city last year.

A court source told the website: "The summing up had just begun when the judge heard strange noises, looked up and saw the outline of two naked bodies.

"When everyone looked it was quite clear what was going on - they were having sex.

"They obviously thought because the glass was dark they would not be seen.

"The judge suspended the case and had the two people clawed away.

"They are both court admin staff but they have not been named. It's a bit delicate as one of them is married," the source claimed.

A spokesman for the court in Genoa said: "Proceedings in a murder case were temporarily halted after the judge noted a disturbance.

"The matter was dealt with and an investigation has been launched so as a result it would not be appropriate to comment further."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in