As he began to speak,
a hush fell over the Victorian County Court.
A tall, burly man with a booming voice, an imperious courtroom
demeanour and his traditional black robes flowing behind him in an
echo of his often emphatic gesticulations, Kayser was larger than
life. A master showman, he knew how to play an audience of courtroom
journalists sitting behind him as much as to the judge in front of
him.
Electron had already stood in the dock and pleaded guilty to fourteen
charges, as agreed with the DPP's office. In typical style, Kayser had
interrupted the long process of the court clerk reading out each
charge and asking whether Electron would plead guilty or not guilty.
With an impatient wave of his hand, Kayser asked the judge to dispense
with such formalities since his client would plead guilty to all the
agreed charges at once. The interjection was more of an announcement
than a question.
The formalities of a plea having been summarily dealt with, the
question now at hand was sentencing. Electron wondered if he would be
sent to prison. Despite lobbying from Electron's lawyers, the DPP's
office had refused to recommend a non-custodial sentence.
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