No we’re not joking, yes it did happen.

Or at least, it was part-way through happening when court officers managed to disconnect the camera feed from the custodial room mid-shot, before the incident reached the point of no return.

The man responsible for the act was John Oddy, an unemployed North Wollongong man who had been arrested in the early hours of Monday morning over accusations he breached an apprehended violence order against a female on Sunday evening.

Oddy was refused police bail and ordered to front court via a video camera link from the cells below Wollongong Police Station.

However, rather than enter the room and sit at the desk as required, Oddy took the opportunity for a little self-expression.

In one swift move, the 43-year-old turned his back to the camera, lifted his shirt and started pulling down his prison-issued green pants, exposing more and more of his lilly-white buttocks until he was cut off mid-exposure.

That demonstration, coupled with a preliminary report from the court’s mental health nurse, prompted Magistrate Michael Stoddart to refer Oddy to the Shellharbour Hospital mental health unit for assessment.

His contravene AVO charge will return to court at a later date.