A German man who was on trial for theft gave the court every reason to throw him into jail after he stole from the judge during the proceedings. Police said the 61-year-old man snatched a bundle of keys from the judge, who only noticed his keys were missing after leaving the court room.

When court officials confronted the man, he told them he was surprised to find the keys in his pocket. Reuters quotes police spokesman Bernhard Schmitt as saying, "He told them he realized how suspicious his story would sound and that he had therefore hidden the keys under a toilet brush."

Schmitt said, "He'd been stealing all his life so it was probably just an intuitive act." The man had lined up several convictions for theft cases.

The man finally admitted wrongdoing through a written confession which he submitted to the court officials while they considered what next step to take. The theft incident interrupted the initial trial, given that the judge could introduce personal sentiments and bias in the case.