A COURT had a rude awakening when the suspect in the morning's first case bared his bottom in front of a judge.

Angry defendant Stephen Davies, 30, yelled "it's a f***ing p***-take" before dropping pulling down his trousers.

Gobsmacked staff and lawyers struggled to keep in their laughter before Davies was hauled away by a prison guard.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, said: "A bit too early in the morning for that sort of thing, but there you go."

Davies was appearing at Teesside Crown Court via a live video-link today from nearby Holme House Prison.

He faces two charges of attempted theft, one of theft and one of attempted robbery, all from November 11.

He had been arraigned on only the first charge, when he interrupted and said: "I plead guilty to all the thefts.

"The attempted robbery - I either took it or I didn't. It's a f***ing p***-take. This is what I think of it."

Davies, of Vincent Road, Middlesbrough, will be sentenced after a psychiatric report has been prepared.

His lawyer, Simon Walker, said: "There are worries about his mental state so we have commissioned a report."

It is anticipated that a guilty plea to attempted theft rather than attempted robbery will be accepted by the prosecution.

The judge added: "Before he indicated quite clearly what he thought of the whole process, I gathered that."