Order from the jail - "You're fired!"

Harding was appearing in the Napier District Court via video link. Photo / Warren Buckland

A prison inmate has used the stage of an appearance in court via an audio visual link from jail to sack his Napier lawyer and tell the judge he wants to be represented by a "brother" who happens to be a fellow prisoner.

Shawn Nicholas Harding, 40, on remand in Hawke's Bay Prison, told lawyer Philip Jensen, who was appearing for him yesterday in Napier District Court: "Phil, you're fired mate. Can you stand down, but I want you to act as amicus."

He said he said that while having the amicus curae (friend of the court) then told Judge Tony Adeane he would represent himself but wanted "my brother" as a McKenzian Friend (advisor and supporter) in court, telling Judge Tony Adeane: "You know him as Laki Sulusi.
"You gave him eight years, I'm not too happy about that...We can talk about that later."

Harding then said he wanted a "OTP" - an order for prison staff to "produce" him at court next time as opposed to another ATV appearance - and he wanted a "section 38", an order for a mental health assessment.

Harding faces nine charges arising from incident alleged to have happened up to and at the time of his arrest on March 2, more than six weeks after police began issuing public appeals seeking information on his whereabouts.

He faces one charge of breaching release conditions, two of breaching a protection order, two of burglary, and one each of unlawfully talking a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified, careless driving and dangerous driving causing injury.

Judge Adeane remanded him in continued custody without pleas to appear in court again on April 19.

The intended McKenzian Friend Sulusi was in November sentenced by Judge Adeane to four years and six months in jail.