Police in Bristol have arrested a 50-year-old man after a noxious substance was spread around the city's crown court on Tuesday.
The city centre court complex was overcome by a pungent garlic smell and several courtrooms had to closed.
It is believed the garlic oil had been spread along radiators and dropped in plant pots.
Avon and Somerset Police said the man had been arrested in connection with the criminal damage incident.
Defendants, court staff, members of the public and lawyers all had to leave the building in distress, some with nausea and headaches.
Crime scene investigators took samples of the substance for analysis on Wednesday after CCTV captured a man smearing the areas with a liquid.
The substance was found to be harmless but the court had to bring in industrial cleaners as the smell was still lingering.
Security at the complex is to be reviewed.
