Former US astronaut Lisa Nowak on Friday came face-to-face in court with the romantic rival she is accused of attacking after allegedly driving half-way across the United States wearing diapers.
And in testimony that raised eyebrows in the courtroom, a police officer said Nowak had told him she had used the soiled baby diapers he found in the back of her car to avoid making too many stops on her long drive to Orlando, Florida.
Nowak, whose bizarre saga has earned her nicknames such as "atronutty," asked the court to remove the monitoring bracelet she has to wear pending her September 24 trial. But the woman she allegedly attacked and plotted to kidnap testified that she is still scared of her.
Colleen Shipman, an air force officer, told the Orlando court she felt safer knowing Nowak wore the device. "It gives me comfort," she said. Asked if she was still afraid of Nowak, Shipman said "Yes."
Nowak said the ankle bracelet, which monitors her position through a satellite tracking device, lets off a loud siren-like blare if she fails to change batteries in time. She also claimed the bracelet makes it difficult for her to exercise, something that is required of her as a US Navy officer. It also costs her 105 dollars a week.
She pledged she would abide by a court-imposed order to stay away from Shipman. Nowak also asked the court to throw out evidence and statements she said were obtained illegally.
A mother of three who has flown aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, Nowak, 44, was arrested on February 5 after she allegedly approached Shipman's car at the Orlando International Airport and doused her alleged romantic adversary with pepper spray, according to police.