Disqualified driver misses court date yet again

A Whangarei man on a charge of driving while disqualified failed to appear in the Whangarei District Court yet again on medical grounds.

Shane Legg, 29, suffered a broken neck and was paralysed in April last year after he fell while in police custody.

The incident was investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Authority.

Surgeons initially said Legg would never walk again, but he was at the wheel of a vehicle stopped in a random check at Raumanga in August.

When his case was called two weeks ago, his lawyer Cor Eckard said Legg could not appear because he had a medical appointment that had been made at short notice.

Judge Simon Maude adjourned the case until this week and said if Legg was going to miss that date, he would have to supply medical reports to the court.

This week, Mr Eckard handed over another medical certificate, saying Legg had sustained a further injury and that his situation was "precarious".

Mr Eckard said he may have to be moved to Auckland for specialist treatment. He added the best course of action was to adjourn the case.

After seeing the doctor's note, Judge John McDonald said Legg "had better" attend court on the next callover date on December 9.