A man was in court for two murder charges.
The Judge said,"on the 23rd August you are accused of killing your wife by beating her to death with a hammer, how do you plead?"
"Guilty," the man said.
At this point a man at the back of the courtroom stood up and shouted, "You dirty rat!" The Judge asked the man to sit down and refrain from making any noise.
The Judge then continued: "… and that also on the 17th September you are accused of killing your son by beating him to death with a hammer, how do you plead?”
"Guilty,” the man responded.
Again, the same man at the back stood up and shouted even louder, "You dirty, filthy, rotten stinking rat!!”
At this point the Judge called the man to the bench and told him, "I have already asked you to be quiet. If you continue with these outbursts, I will charge you with contempt of court. I can understand your feelings, but what relationship have you to this man?"
He replied, "He's my nextdoor neighbor."
The Judge replied, "I can understand your feelings then, but you must refrain from any comments".
The man replied, "Your Honor, you don't understand. Twice I’ve asked if I could borrow a hammer, and both times he said he didn't have one!”