In the defendant's dock, Wendell smiled. "Fraud? You—haha, you really know how to joke. What does this have to do with fraud?"
Hobart asked the gallery, "Everyone, after you provide a service to a customer, is it common sense for that customer to pay?"
Whether or not they understood Hobart's intention, everyone answered together, "Yes!"
Hobart picked up his folder. "I have proof of the defendant's income here, more than enough to show that he had the financial means to pay for the services provided by Miss Emma.
"Yet he failed to pay. This violates the fundamental common sense established by convention and meets the legal definition of fraud!"
Wendell laughed. "So what? You still can't change the fact that payment for prostitution is illegal income."
"Don't think you're qualified to play with the law. My team will sue you until you're bankrupt over the coming period!" Hobart said coldly. "The relevant statutes state that economic losses caused by fraud have no requirements regarding the source of income!"
Some people had already understood what Hobart meant.
Amid applause from the gallery, Hobart continued loudly, "Therefore, Mr. Wendell, I accuse you of defrauding my client. You must compensate her for all her losses, including my commission fee!"
The applause from the gallery grew louder and louder, and some people were even cheering! Wendell, meanwhile, had gone pale as death. He now regretted not hiring a lawyer, because he had no way of judging whether Hobart's words were true.
After great difficulty restoring order to the Courtroom, the Judge almost immediately delivered his verdict. "The defendant is guilty of fraud. He shall compensate the plaintiff for all economic losses, lost wages, legal fees, and so on, totaling 12 pounds, and is fined 5 pounds! He is sentenced to six months' imprisonment."
Wendell