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| 'Mystery' prisoner baffles court | 'Mystery' prisoner baffles court |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A mystery man arrested two weeks ago for trespass and burglary has baffled police and immigration officials. | A mystery man arrested two weeks ago for trespass and burglary has baffled police and immigration officials. |
| Magistrates were told the authorities have no idea of his name, age, nationality, or even his language. | Magistrates were told the authorities have no idea of his name, age, nationality, or even his language. |
| The court at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, was told he had broken into the same house three times, washed himself and cooked food, and stole a sewing kit. | The court at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, was told he had broken into the same house three times, washed himself and cooked food, and stole a sewing kit. |
| The man - referred to as the prisoner or defendant - was remanded in custody as no plea could be taken. | The man - referred to as the prisoner or defendant - was remanded in custody as no plea could be taken. |
| Laura Carthew, prosecuting, said police had tried every means possible to identify or communicate with him. | Laura Carthew, prosecuting, said police had tried every means possible to identify or communicate with him. |
| We don't have any information at all and we are unable to communicate in any way with the defendant before you Solicitor Stephen Lloyd | We don't have any information at all and we are unable to communicate in any way with the defendant before you Solicitor Stephen Lloyd |
| The man, who appeared to be in his 30s with dark receding hair and olive skin, is alleged to have broken into one house in Tycroes, near Ammanford. | The man, who appeared to be in his 30s with dark receding hair and olive skin, is alleged to have broken into one house in Tycroes, near Ammanford. |
| "A map of the world has been offered to the defendant with no response," she said. | "A map of the world has been offered to the defendant with no response," she said. |
| She also said they presented him with flags from all the countries in the world, but this met with a similar response. | She also said they presented him with flags from all the countries in the world, but this met with a similar response. |
| His fingerprints have been checked against the national database and the immigration services are also involved. | His fingerprints have been checked against the national database and the immigration services are also involved. |
| He has briefly spoken once in a language thought to be Amharic, but when a translator was called they said they did not understand him and had no clue to the dialect he was speaking. | |
| Representing him, Stephen Lloyd said: "We don't have any information at all and we are unable to communicate in any way with the defendant before you." | Representing him, Stephen Lloyd said: "We don't have any information at all and we are unable to communicate in any way with the defendant before you." |
| 'Small tribe' | |
| Magistrates had accepted jurisdiction of the case but it will have to be transferred to the crown court as the man could not give his consent for a summary trial. | Magistrates had accepted jurisdiction of the case but it will have to be transferred to the crown court as the man could not give his consent for a summary trial. |
| "He has to consent for a summary trial to take place," said Mr Lloyd. | "He has to consent for a summary trial to take place," said Mr Lloyd. |
| "He can't communicate therefore the matter will have to proceed to the crown court. I don't think there is any other option." | "He can't communicate therefore the matter will have to proceed to the crown court. I don't think there is any other option." |
| The gentleman himself really communicates extremely little Solicitor Mike Reed | |
| Magistrates remanded the man in custody until 2 November. | Magistrates remanded the man in custody until 2 November. |
| They said he may as well appear via video link as he did not appear to know what was happening. | They said he may as well appear via video link as he did not appear to know what was happening. |
| Both the defence and prosecution said efforts would continue in a bid to identify him. | Both the defence and prosecution said efforts would continue in a bid to identify him. |
| After Thursday's hearing, the man's solicitor Mike Reed said in his 30 years' experience he had never come across a similar situation. | After Thursday's hearing, the man's solicitor Mike Reed said in his 30 years' experience he had never come across a similar situation. |
| He said that in a previous hearing, the court heard how writing in a book apparently discarded by the man had been identified as belonging to a "small tribe at the bottom of the Atlas mountains" in Morocco. | He said that in a previous hearing, the court heard how writing in a book apparently discarded by the man had been identified as belonging to a "small tribe at the bottom of the Atlas mountains" in Morocco. |
| "The gentleman himself really communicates extremely little," Mr Reed told BBC News. | "The gentleman himself really communicates extremely little," Mr Reed told BBC News. |
| "The police found a notebook that he had discarded and it had certain writing on. They took it to an expert who said it was similar to a language used by this Berber tribe." | "The police found a notebook that he had discarded and it had certain writing on. They took it to an expert who said it was similar to a language used by this Berber tribe." |
| Mr Reed said the police had not been able to find a translator who spoke the language. | Mr Reed said the police had not been able to find a translator who spoke the language. |