Court Finds Thief Did Not Steal Heart

One of the oddest cases to come before a German court ended yesterday when judges threw out an attempt to imprison a prosecutor for perverting the course of justice in the cause of love.

The unmarried female prosecutor stood accused of perjury and destroying evidence to try to win freedom for a thief who had robbed a bank and then stolen her heart.

The woman, who was identified only as Ulrike K, was put in the dock by fellow prosecutors in Potsdam two years ago and found not guilty.

Under German law, the prosecution was allowed to appeal against the acquittal at the federal administrative court in Leipzig. Ms K might have faced a new trial and up to 15 months in jail, but the Leipzig court upheld the acquittal yesterday.

At the robber's trial, Ms K told the court that the accused had told her he was under the influence of heroin on the day of the robbery.

This would have been an important mitigating factor and could have led to a lighter sentence. But no one could find any reference to drugs in the defendant's signed statement, and police could not recall his mentioning them. Ms K was also accused of destroying evidence from a CCTV camera.

She denied all charges and insisted that she had not fallen for the man.

Not the least convincing evidence in her favour was that, despite all the holes in the prosecution's case, the defendant was convicted. He got 13 years.