A 58-year-old Swedish man who thoughtfully left carved wooden phalluses as going-away presents for female staff on his release from chokey has been fined for his trouble, the Borås Tidning reports.

The unnamed former lag did a short spell in Smälteryd correctional facility outside of Borås in central Sweden back in 2003. To express his appreciation at the hospitality, he deposited several "packages" at the main desk on his way out of the door, along with a note hoping the contents "would be put to good use".

The recipients, however, were "not inclined to take advantage of the wooden phalluses and instead reported the matter to police".

Fast forward to an appearance before Borås district court, where his defence lawyer argued that “in today’s society wooden sticks and letters cannot be considered morally objectionable, in any case not in a correctional facility environment".

The powers that be disgreed, and slapped the amateur woodcarver with an 1800 kronor (£194, €241, US$382, 1,205 Malaysia ringgits) penalty for "sexual molestation". ®

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