Of course some are more easily shocked than others  and Najib seems to be in the former category. He would have to be if he really was shocked when he learned that his defence was required to all seven charges brought against him. Surely his experienced counsel had told him that this was, at least, a possibility though even the most junior barrister would have known that this was inevitable in the face of the prosecution evidence.

It will be interesting to see what line the defence take when answering the many charges in the case. If only to know what is likely to happen when his defence is called in many of the outstanding trials that Najib still faces.

It may be more appropriate to talk about “shock” when verdicts are announced and sentences pronounced.