Twenty-one year old Joey Van den Broeck was charged with assaulting his girlfriend and resisting arrest, and was summoned to appear in court.

When Van den Broeck failed to arrive for his hearing, the judge chose to continue the trial in his absence, handing down a sentence of eight months in prison, together with a $900 fine.

There was a slight problem though - Van den Broeck had died in a car crash. On balance, I suspect he'd be happy to pay his fine and do his time.

Ananova