A New Zealand judge has thrown out an attempt to prosecute a dead South Korean fisherman, comparing the case to a Monty Python sketch.
Trawler officers Soon Ill Hwang and Dae Jun Lee were accused in Christchurch District Court of illegally dumping dead fish at sea in a case brought by the Ministry for Primary Industries, the New Zealand Herald reported.
However, shortly after charges were laid against him earlier this year, Soon was killed in a car crash and might not have been aware he was facing legal proceedings, a lawyer for his estate told the court.
Unperturbed by the death of the fisherman, a solicitor representing the ministry reportedly told the court there were still valid reasons for the prosecution to go ahead - though judge Gary MacAskill rejected the argument as "absurd".
"It reminds me of Monty Python and his dead parrot," the judge reportedly said, referring to the British comedy skit.
"I would have thought that the death of the accused is pretty fundamental. We can't try dead people," he reportedly said, sarcastically suggesting that the only way to obtain evidence from the accused would be through a seance.
The case against Soon's co-accused, Dae, continues.