Whangarei District Court was a hive of activity - and drama - as a defiant woman was dragged out of a courtroom for arguing with, among all people, a judge.
The fracas started after Judge John McDonald finished sentencing a man to a month in jail on a charge of possessing a pipe used for smoking drugs.
The man, facing other drugs charges, appeared for a callover and as he was being escorted back down to the building by First Security officers, the judge called him back. Judge McDonald opted to sentence him before lunch on the lesser charge - a move that riled a woman in the public gallery who questioned why a "Maori fella" had been put off to appear at 2.15pm in an unrelated case.
The judge asked who she referred to, and the woman replied that the judge should know as he had the files.
When asked whether the man she referred to was related to her, she replied "no" but queried why the court applied different rules in terms of when to deal with cases. Judge McDonald said he didn't have to explain procedural matters as such to her before ordering her to leave court or be sent to the cells for being in contempt of court.