Barrister...

The Garden Court Chambers junior was on his way to Croydon Crown Court when, having taken his eyes off the pavement to wave at a neighbour, he collided with the inanimate object.

Newell's initial embarrassment, if not his headache, was compounded thanks to a tweet from the Croydon Advertiser's reporter, Gareth Davies: "Trial in Croydon delayed briefly after barrister arrives late because he walked into a lamp post waving to a neighbour while on way to court."

Davies subsequently tweeted: "Barrister, pointing to a bump on his forehead, told judge he had to sit down or half an hour after walking into lamp post."

Fortunately for the bruised barrister, Recorder Kenneth Hamer made light of his tardiness, though it did delay the summing up of the trial that Newell was appearing in.