Court artist describes how she captures legal dramas in minutes

From Heather Mills pouring water over Sir Paul McCartney's divorce lawyer to the freeing of the Birmingham Six, they are some of the most dramatic moments in legal history.

But because of the ban on recording equipment in courtrooms, the only visual record we have of them had to be drawn from memory.

Veteran court artist Priscilla Coleman today described how she creates her images with only the help of written notes.

She said: "I look for the unusual things about people's faces, all the unique things. Even the way they wear their wigs. Some people look like skeletons, others like Miss Piggy, there's always something."

By the time she has left the courtroom she "instinctively knows" what the most telling image would be, and sits down — sometimes on the floor — to draw.

Coleman, 48, was born in Texas and worked for Channel 13 and KTRKTV in Houston before being hired by ITN.

Her first sketch for the channel was of the 1987 libel action involving Jeffrey Archer and prostitute Monica Coghlan.

Now, together with Paul Cheston — who has been courts correspondent for the Evening Standard for 17 years — Coleman has created a book, Court Scenes, documenting significant cases from the past 20 years.

She usually has about 30 minutes to create a sketch for broadcast. But once she had only five minutes and thought it "the best drawing I'd ever done". She said: "But that's the fun and the challenge — to see if you can do it in the time or not."

The images will be exhibited at the High Court on November 18.

Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent

The greatest dramas are courtroom dramas. Playwrights, TV producers, Hollywood moguls and the world's greatest actors have tried, and mostly failed, to capture exactly what it is like to be there.

After more than 20 years as a court reporter I can promise you nothing matches what is at stake as the 12 jurymen and women file back into court to deliver a verdict.

The courtroom wreaks of adrenaline, fear, nerves, and heart-pounding anticipation.

But while there is the horror of a major Old Bailey murder trial, there is also the humour — often unwitting — and characters in non-violent crime and High Court civil cases.

And, of course, the eye-opening visits to the dock of the rich and famous.