'Yes I killed her. But I was asleep at the time.'

Here's an alibi you may not have considered - sleepmurdering. It's not foolproof, but for 40-year old Brian Thomas, it was enough to convince the judge. Brian awoke one morning to find that he had accidentally throttled his wife to death, believing her to be in intruder.

Sleepwalking is one of those bizarre human behaviours we don’t fully understand. Humans have been sleepwalking for as long as we have been sleeping. Since we spend about one third of our lives sleeping it’s not surprising that a whole range of conditions can occur while in this state.

Most sleepwalking consists of just that.  Walking. The person won’t remember anything, but will usually walk a short distance, occasionally ramble nonsensical muttering and then return to sleep. About 15 percent of all children sleepwalk and most will stop by their early teens. 

But did you know that people 'sleep drive', 'sleep walk the dog' and 'sleep email'? 

Sleep-murdering isn't a definite 'get out of jail free card'. Here's the line up:

• 1997: Scott Falater, a devout Mormon, stabbed his wife 44 times with a hunting knife. He then dragged her into a backyard pool and held her head under water. Falater tried to conceal evidence in his car. Found guilty of first degree murder.
• 2001: Stephen Reitz killed his married lover, Eva Weinfurtner during a romantic Catalina Island getaway. He smashed her head with a flowerpot, dislocated her arm, stabbed her with a plastic fork and fractured her wrist, ribs, jaw, facial bones, and skull, allegedly fighting off a would-be intruder. Found guilty of first-degree murder.
• 2003: Jules Lowe, 32 punched and kicked his aged father, Edward Lowe, 82, over ninety times until he died. He had a strong history of sleepwalking. He was acquitted

The moral of the story? Think of a better alibi!