They held the paper and looked down at me with a piercing stare.

As he says this, he fi xes you a steady, piercing stare that strikingly belies his nondescript man-in-the-garden-centre appearance.

He has the kind of piercing stare which lifts enamel off saucepans.

His piercing stares, bushy hair and thick beard also give him an intimidating presence, although he has been described as a jovial, affable and even soft-spoken person outside the courtroom.