A man attempted to ‘arrest’ a judge in a bizarre courtroom encounter.

Nigel Lyttle began reading district judge Nick Watson his rights and accused him of treason.

The case, at Leicester Magistrates Court on Thursday, took a strange turn as district judge Watson attempted to explain to the 48-year-old he could not help him with an application for defence costs.

Mr Lyttle, who had refused requests to remove his woolly hat in court, informed the hearing he was a freeman of the land.

The judge attempted to explain to Mr Lyttle that he had to go up the road to the crown court in Wellington Street to resolve his application prompting Mr Lyttle to say: “You need to be at the crown court.

“Walk yourself into a mental institution.

“Are you under oath?

“You have the right to remain silent, you have the right...”

District judge Watson cut him off to again tell him he was in the wrong place.

Mr Lyttle then responded: “Do you understand? It’s treason. "Hung drawn and quartered.”

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The judge ended the hearing with a polite: “Thank you very much Mr Lyttle.”

Mr Lyttle had originally said he did not know why he had come to court but then said he wanted to reclaim costs incurred in three previous trips from his home in Arboretum Road, Walsall to Leicester for an unspecified case.