Breaking wind in public may not be a crime but it sure is embarrassing, especially if it happens when you're in an awkward situation. One might end up paying an especially high price if it's done to try and dodge arrest. A 41-year-old man in the U.K. farted in the face of a police officer who was trying to detain him for shoplifting, the Oxford Crown Court in the U.K. heard on Aug. 26.

The man in question, Matthew Hapgood, was arrested by the deputies for nicking $38 (33 pounds) worth of beer from a Tesco outlet on March 21. At some point during the arrest, he ripped out a fart right in the officer's face, which made matters worse.

Hapgood pleaded guilty to robbery, shoplifting, the possession of a bladed article and to criminal damage in court. Judge Ian Pringle QC handed him a sentence of 34 months in jail.

The judge told the court that Hapgood has a history of crime and, in most instances, he was either drunk or high on drugs.

"You have a lengthy history, no less than 31 previous convictions for 83 offenses, all really to do with a drug or alcohol addiction which has been with you for most of your adult life," the judge said in court, according to Ladbible.

The defense attorney, Ronan McCann, argued that the problems faced by his client were all linked to a "long-term addiction in relation to substances."

Well, cops are no strangers to people's bizarre antics to avoid arrest.

In another such incident, a woman in Florida started dancing to try and impress deputies and dodge a breath analyzer test during a DUI arrest. Police bodycam footage released this week showed the messy arrest of Amy Harrington, 38, during which she embarked on a "ballet and Irish folk dance" routine as a cop stood as an unimpressed spectator. The footage showed the deputy urging her to stop, but she cheekily replies that the cop sounded like her ballet coach. The woman was arrested and accused of rear-ending another vehicle. She was charged with property damage and refusal to submit to testing.

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