A Moroccan man who chopped off his friend’s head and carried it around with him in a plastic bag before dumping it outside a court has gone on trial in Germany.

Hasan H. was found with the gruesome trophy after shocked passersby called the police in Bonn, Germany, on 28th June.

The headless body of victim Murad H., 44 – a drifter pal of the suspect – was found nearby.

One eyewitness was quoted as saying: “I thought it was just a mannequin when I saw it the first time. But when I looked closer, I realised it was real . . . I still can’t get the image of those staring eyes out of my head.”

An autopsy has revealed that 39-year-old Hasan H. did not kill his drinking companion, who shared a sleeping space with him.

As a result of the report, Hasan H. has been charged with disturbing the dead, with the police report saying he chopped off his head after his pal – who hailed from Libya – had died of a serious illness.

The suspect then put the severed head in a plastic bag and carried it for a kilometre (0.6 miles) through Bonn until reaching the city’s district court.

The homeless suspect did not resist arrest but has so far chosen to remain silent.

Local media reported that the suspect was under the influence of drugs at the time, and he was taken to a psychiatric ward where he was assessed for trial.

Local media reported that both men had not had a permanent address for years.

The victim’s headless body was found in the place where the two men slept rough.

The Bonn District Court, which had been sealed off with tarpaulin following the gruesome discovery, was operating normally again a day later.

If convicted, he faces a fine and up to 3 years in jail, and the court case is only expected to finish on 17th January.