CCTV footage of extraordinary Kazakhstan courtroom bust-up becomes viral hit
Once again, a reminder that even the most extreme bust-ups between British lawyers and judges — yes, we mean you Ian West and Judge Peter Kelson QC — pale in comparison to what goes on abroad.
Hot on the heels of an apparent full on fist fight between a US lawyer and judge come these incredible scenes from a Kazakhstan courtroom, where a lawyer has been filmed repeatedly striking a judge with a fly swatter — before being struck himself by the fist of the opposing counsel.
According to reports, a submission by Kazakh lawyer Evgeniy Tankov in a dispute about his client’s inheritance hadn’t been going well, with Tankov eventually snapping and completely losing his cool. At which point, evoking thoughts of his fictional countryman Borat, the 35 year-old lawyer tells the judge:
“Let’s not hang about arguing the law here, let’s decide this with fly swatters.”
Following through on his suggestion, Tankov then begins striking the judge with a fly swatter that he had conveniently to hand.
Indignant at the behaviour of his opponent, the lawyer for the other party in the case, Artem Ibragilov, quickly becomes involved, punching Tankov in the back.
This intervention allows the judge to regain the initiative and begin wrestling with Tankov, before Ibragilov turns peacemaker and intervenes to keep the pair apart.
In the wake of the extraordinary bust-up — which has been picked up by various media outlets after first appearing on viral video site Live Leak on Friday — a court official told The Mirror that Tankov has been banned from practising law and is facing up to ten years in prison for assault.
Supporters of Fountain Chambers’ West will be hoping that the Bar Standard Boards — to which the ‘breathtakingly arrogant’ barrister was referred last week following a huge ding dong with a Crown Court judge — takes note of the absence of aggravating features such as fly swatters as they consider his case.